The book covers many invented words, based on many languages. Modern English is full of loan words, or anglicised words from a foreign root. Why do you get upset when the word is invented from Japanese? I didn't think words deriving fom "oriental" like "orientalist" were in vogue.
Because in japanese the new word makes no sense. If you’re borrowing or creating new words, it would be nice if they would somewhat sensible and not just be the typical “wow japanese is so mystic language”.
There's no reason to believe this is just another case of "wow Japanese is so mystic". Lately, I'm seeing more and more people with a sort of imagined or conjured offense that someone is unduly appreciating a culture. I don't really get it.
It seems roughly analogous to wasei-eigo[1], Japanese terms derived from English words that may not match up with how you'd typically form words or use them in English. Examples include cosplay, from cos(tume) play, and pasokon (PC), from perso(nal) com(puter).
> In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world.
GGP is not using a slur, they're suggesting that this is an inappropriate use of Japanese culture as an aesthetic by a Western writer. Reducing a culture to an aesthetic is harmful because it essentializes and stereotypes a culture and those in it.
(I don't know if I agree about this particular example or not, I'm still pondering; only explaining.)
I think the reaction is stronger when borrowing the foreign bits just feel like "cheating".
If they were borrowing words with meanings that are specific to that language are hard to convey in other languages it would make more sense. Here the new word is basically "me-leftover"; it feels exactly the same in Japanese than when spelled out in English, so either the author could accept the cheesiness in English and run with it, or choose a better fitting word in a different language that actually brings nuance to the thought.
Just borrowing another word to make it look mystical isn't wrong or forbidden, it just feels lazy and a waste of good words. Also we're in a connected world, and there's enough people speaking multiple language that "exotic" words have a way lower chance to be actually exotic anymore.
