Crazy - insane

Japanese: 気ちがい - きちがい

It is a slang term for mental illness and mentally ill people that has been widely used in Japan since the early modern period, and the word (Qichigai) was already included in the Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary published in 1603 (Keicho 8). The original meaning is said to be not simply "going crazy" but "exchanging one's mind for another's." Incidentally, in the Middle Ages, "monotsuki" and "monogurui" were widely used to refer to mental illness in general, and in ancient times "tabure" was widely used, so there is no doubt that the lineage of "tabure" → "monotsuki" or "monogurui" → "kichigai" has historically conveyed the Japanese view of insanity.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

日本で近世以降ひろく使われてきた精神病，精神病者の俗称で，1603年(慶長8)刊行の《日葡辞書》にはすでにこの語(Qichigai)が収録されている。原義は，単に〈気が変になること〉ではなく，〈自分の気がほかの気と入れかわること〉であるとされる。ちなみに，中世では〈ものつき〉や〈ものぐるい〉が，そして古代では〈たぶれ〉が精神病一般を指す言葉として流布しており，したがって〈たぶれ〉→〈ものつき〉ないし〈ものぐるい〉→〈気ちがい〉といった系譜が日本人の狂気観を歴史的に伝えてきたことはまちがいない。

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

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