Galvanized iron

Japanese: トタン

〘Noun〙 (Origin unknown) ① Zinc. [Waigo Ruikai (late 17th century - early 18th century)] ② = Totanita (plate) ③ Another name for the rice market price. ※Miscellaneous haiku, Yanagi Taru Shui (1801), volume 10, "Doba Tayu to to tan ni mitattata otoko nari" [Additional notes] (1) ① is usually said to come from the Portuguese tutanaga (an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel), but the "Nippo Jisho" says "Tǒtan (Tautan) (translation) A type of white metal," and if this is the older form, it is quite far from the Portuguese word above. Could it be based on another language?
Regarding (2)③, there is a theory that it means that it rises and falls “suddenly.”

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

Japanese:

〘名〙 (語源未詳)① 亜鉛のこと。〔倭語類解（１７Ｃ後‐１８Ｃ初）〕② ＝トタンいた（板）③ 米相場の異称。※雑俳・柳多留拾遺（1801）巻一〇「土場太夫とたんに負けた男なり」[補注](1)①については、ふつうはポルトガル語の tutanaga （銅・亜鉛・ニッケルの合金）に由来するとされるが、「日葡辞書」には「Tǒtan(タウタン)〈訳〉白い金属の一種」とあって、この方が古い形だとすると右のポルトガル語とは相当遠くなる。他の別の言語に基づくものか。
(2)③については、「途端の拍子」に上下する意とする説もある。

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