Episode 31: On the Origin of the Word "Konnyaku" - Part 2

Episode 31: On the Origin of the Word "Konnyaku" - Part 2

Last time I wrote about the etymology of the Japanese word for konjac, but this time I will introduce its names in other countries.

In Chinese, it's written as "魔芋" (mǎo yǔ). Some say that "魔芋" is a colloquial term.
It was originally called "Mōimo" (磨芋), meaning "to grind" (磨(mó)), because it is made by grinding konjac potatoes, but it seems that this name later changed to "Mō" (魔), which has the same pinyin pronunciation.
Another theory suggests that konjac potatoes look like taro but are poisonous, so the character for "demon" (魔) was used to distinguish them.

Next, in English, it's called a "konjac," or sometimes referred to as "devil's tongue."
The reason it's called "konjac" is that if it were spelled "konnyaku," it would be pronounced "konyakō," so the more Japanese-sounding "konjac" has become more widespread. In other words, the English word "konjac" originates from Japanese.

The alternative name "devil's tongue" originates from the appearance of the flower that the konjac plant produces.
The konjac flower, native to Southeast Asia, is characterized by its bright red color, resembling fresh blood, and a poisonous-looking rod-shaped part called the inflorescence axis that rises towards the sky from its center.
It is said that the name was derived from the way the demon sticks out its tongue.

I hope this has made you realize the fascinating aspects of konjac all over again.

For reference, see "What does this English mean?" at https://imi-nani.fenecilla.com/konnyaku/
From Macaroni: https://macaro-ni.jp/31946
Why is it called "konnyaku"? (From a Chinese website)
https://www.zhihu.com/question/21846338