Electric (electric) - ereki

...electrical knowledge brought to Japan through Dutch studies during the Edo period, originally meaning friction electric machine. The Dutch word elektriciteit was corrupted to elekiteru, and was further abbreviated to the common word eleki. In the first half of the 18th century in Europe, friction electric machines and Leyden jars were invented and became popular as spectacles and toys that frightened people with electric shocks. This knowledge was brought to Japan, where Goto Rishun (1702-71) first introduced elekiteru in his "Komodanashi (Holland Stories)" (1765), and Hiraga Gennai first created a friction electric machine with a capacitor in 1776 (An'ei 5).

*Some of the terminology that mentions "Electricity" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…江戸時代に蘭学を通じてもたらされた電気知識で，本来は摩擦起電機の意。オランダ語のelektriciteitがなまってエレキテル，さらに簡略化されて俗にエレキともいわれた。18世紀前半のヨーロッパで摩擦起電機やライデン瓶が発明され，電気ショックで人をおどろかせる見世物や遊び道具として人気を得たが，この知識が日本にもたらされ，後藤梨春(1702‐71)が《紅毛談（オランダばなし）》(1765)にはじめてエレキテルを紹介し，平賀源内は1776年(安永5)にはじめて蓄電器つきの摩擦起電機をつくった。…

※「エレキ（電気）」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報