Did the Japanese word for "thank you" come from Portuguese?

The Japanese word for "thank you" is "arigatou" (ありがとう). It is often suggested that this word derives from the Portuguese word "obrigado", both of which mean "Thank you." However, evidence indicates that "arigatou" has a purely Japanese origin, so these two words are false cognates.

"Arigato" is an "u"-sound change of "arigataku". In turn, "arigataku" is the adverbial form of an adjective "arigatai", from older "arigatashi", itself a compound of "ari" + "kashi".

"Ari" is a conjugation of the verb "aru" meaning "to be", and "kashi" is an adjective meaning "difficult". So, "arigatashi" literally means "difficult to exist", hence "rare" and thus "precious", with usage shifting to indicate gratitude for receiving an outstanding kindness. The phrase to express such gratitude is "arigatou gozaimasu", or "arigatou" for short.

The Portuguese arrived in Japan in the 16th century, and there was some cultural exchange between the two countries. However, there is no evidence that the Portuguese word "obrigado" had any influence on the Japanese word "arigatou". The two words are simply coincidental in form.

No Such Thing as Too Many Hobbies

Excerpts from an article in Forbes based on a paper from Psychological Review: A psychologically rich life: Beyond happiness and meaning.

So, what is a psychologically rich life, and how are hobbies related to this concept?

Rather than focusing solely on happiness or meaning, psychologically rich lives are characterized by a mosaic of intriguing, transformative experiences. The patience imbibed from knitting, the discipline from martial arts or the shift in perspective from photography, all contribute to freeing our mind and spirit. With every new hobby, we not only diversify our life’s narrative but also experience the liberation that comes from seeing the world through multiple lenses. Key indicators of those leading psychologically rich lives include heightened curiosity, holistic thinking and a tendency towards political liberalism.

The findings of the study demonstrate that happiness, meaning and psychological richness, while interrelated, are distinct paradigms of a rewarding life. Notably, a substantial number of participants of the study globally expressed a preference for a psychologically rich life, even if it came at the cost of happiness or meaning.

This suggests that individuals with a wide range of hobbies, always eager to learn and explore, aren’t scatterbrained or indecisive. They’re simply perpetually appreciative of the journey.

The More Hobbies We Engage In As We Age, The Lower Our Risk For Dementia