Gamu (Gum)Gamu (Gum)
Gamu
ガムとゴム
Today, I will talk about “gamu” and “gomu.”
今日はガムとゴムについて話します。
“Gamu” is an English loanword, and “gomu” is a Dutch loanword.
ガムは英語のGum、ゴムはオランダ語のGomから日本に来た言葉です。
These words express different meanings respectively, because when they were imported into Japan, “gamu” expressed mainly “chewing gum,” and “gomu” expressed mainly “rubber.”
日本に入ってきたとき、ガムはチューインガムを、ゴムは天然ゴムなどの材料を指していことから、それぞれ異なる意味で定着しています。
On the other hand, I heard that “gum” in English and “gom” in Dutch express both of their meanings.
しかし英語ではどちらもガムと言い、オランダ語ではどちらもゴムと言います。
By the way, in German, “gummi” expresses all of “gamu,” “gomu” and “gumi.”
ちなみに、ドイツ語ではガムもゴムもグミ（gummi）と言うそうです。
In Japan (maybe also in other countries), both gamu and gumi are a kind of candy, but we refer to ones that disappear by chewing as gumi (gummy).
日本では（恐らく他の国でも）、ガムもグミもお菓子の一種ですが、噛んで無くなるものをグミと呼んでいます。
