Web Excursions 2021-09-26
Language Log » New expressions for karaoke: the phoneticization of Chinese
Karaoke is the abbreviated Japanese translation-transliteration of English "empty orchestra,"
viz., kara (空) "empty" and ōkesutora (オーケストラ).
When I reported this to my Chinese linguist friends they were absolutely flabbergasted.
They had been convinced that the OK was simply the English term meaning "all right,"
but they had no idea what to make of the kǎlā portion.
[But now in China] “kǎlā OK 卡拉OK" was outmoded and that people barely used it any longer.
they say that they refer to it as “chàng K 唱K“ ("sing K"),”K ge K歌“ ("K songs"),or “KTV” (where karaoke takes place).
[The English word “orchestra” has a] Greek basis – orkheisthai, or "to dance".
it was simply fascinating that the origin of "orchestra" has to do with dance rather than music