United States - United States

Japanese: 合衆国 - がっしゅうこく

[1] [noun] A single state formed by the union of two or more nations or states under a common sovereignty. A confederation. It also refers to a democratic state or a republic. *Bankoku Shinwa (New Stories of the World) (1868) (edited by Shunzo Yanagawa), vol. 1, "Describes how 'Australiya' became independent and became the United States of America." [2] United States of America. America (beikoku) . ※Documents related to foreign countries at the end of the Edo period - June 7, 1853 (Kojiki-ruien, Diplomacy 25) "Two oral reconciliation letters from the Admiral of the United States Navy" [Glossary] (1) (Regarding (1)) In late modern Japan, the Western political form without a monarch (republic) was translated as "co-governed country," "republican," or "republican politics," but in China, the term "United States," meaning a country run by many people in cooperation, was used in the Wangxia Treaty of 1844 and other documents. Perhaps this term came to be used in Japan as well.
(2)(ii) is sometimes written as “United States” because of the idea that America is a collection of “states.”

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

[1] 〘名〙二つ以上の国家または州が同一主権のもとに連合してできた単一の国家。連合国。また、民主制国家、あるいは共和国をもさしていう。※万国新話（1868）〈柳河春三編〉一「『アウスタラリヤ』の独立して合衆国と為りたる有様を説けり」[2] アメリカ合衆国。米国(べいこく)。※幕末外国関係文書‐嘉永六年（1853）六月七日（古事類苑・外交二五）「合衆国水師提督口上和解二通」[語誌](1)((一)について) 近世末期の日本では、西洋の君主のいない政治形態（republic）を、「共治国」「共和国」「共和政治」などと訳していたが、中国では、衆人が協力して経営する国の意の「合衆国」を、一八四四年の望廈(ぼうか)条約などで用いており、これが日本でも使われるようになったものか。
(2)(二)は、アメリカが「州」の集合体であるという意識から「合州国」と書くこともある。

出典　精選版日本国語大辞典精選版日本国語大辞典について　情報

<<: Economic Interpretation of the United States Constitution

>>: Pulley device