Submitted by johnmyster t3_11so17s in todayilearned
Comments
logosmd666 t1_jces9hx wrote
It’s obviously a countdown- nine->ten->Do!
The_Thunder_Child t1_jceti9c wrote
Since he died in 1940 I doubt he knows much of anything.
johnmyster OP t1_jcezwl1 wrote
Wouldn't that be a countup?
johnmyster OP t1_jcezzok wrote
Knew* what their name means.
Artsy_traveller_82 t1_jcf0zh1 wrote
Allegedly it means “Leave luck to heaven” and the literal translation according to a Japanese friend of mine is pretty close. This has never been confirmed by Nintendo though.
TWiesengrund t1_jcf11bv wrote
So he knows as much as I do about the true meaning of Nintendo!
romeozor t1_jcf2wna wrote
An Australian countdown
RandoCalrissian11 t1_jcfbgvm wrote
Probably the most successful playing card company ever.
drak0bsidian t1_jcfhlrg wrote
Nᴉuǝ-ʇǝu-po¡
himmmmmmmmmmmmmm t1_jcfoz83 wrote
Playing with power the story of Nintendo
ComfortableSock2044 t1_jcfpwsj wrote
The kanji don't necessarily always reflect meaning. For proper nouns, ateji are used which are chosen for pronunciation and not for meaning. Lots of Japanese companies use ateji and don't intend for any specific meaning.
So if they're saying only the owners know the meaning then it doesn't really matter what your friend says because your friend is only going off what's presented to him/her -- the kanji -- and we know they used ateji.
I'll break it down. Nintendo= 任天堂
任 to leave up to
天 heaven
堂 large room or a hall
Yes, i can see where your friend got the meaning, but that doesn't mean it was intended. Again, kanji used in proper nouns are ateji and don't necessarily have the meaning of the kanji. Below is a Wikipedia article dedicated to ateji
Source: I've been speaking Japanese for over 20 years, have lived there, and I've worked as a translator and interpreter amongst other bilingual jobs. Not a "weeb" or whatever new word you guys have developed for Japanophiles.
Artsy_traveller_82 t1_jcglf0j wrote
Nothing I said contradicts anything you just said.
AnxiouslyPessimistic t1_jcgntse wrote
Roughly translated it means “never discounted”
johnmyster OP t1_jcgrdc0 wrote
The real translation right here!
caspissinclair t1_jch8ji1 wrote
Nin-ten-do? It's a cereal, wow!
DavoTB t1_jchpm4o wrote
We heard this years ago…figured it was a lie.
logosmd666 t1_jcjhzq5 wrote
Its all lies, man, its all lies... even the cake...
FractalCurve t1_jck0sma wrote
> Source: I've been speaking Japanese for over 20 years, have lived there, and I've worked as a translator and interpreter amongst other bilingual jobs. Not a "weeb" or whatever new word you guys have developed for Japanophiles.
The pre-emptive hostility here is somewhat unwarranted.
ComfortableSock2044 t1_jckgv9p wrote
I'm saying your friend's translation is a moot point because his translation is based on the symbols literal meaning which isn't the reason they were used. The symbols were chosen for their sounds.
ComfortableSock2044 t1_jckh0jn wrote
I've been on Reddit for 12 years (not this account) There is always someone shitty to anyone who says they speak Japanese.
[deleted] t1_jcohbmw wrote
[deleted]
PunkPint t1_jceqlfw wrote
I misread the title to mean its a secret given to the president: it's more that the guy who originally named it never told anyone. Probably means nothing.