Glossary
| Aam, Amen | Measure of capacity. One aam of oil, vinegar or wine was equal to 90 kannen of 10 mutsjes each. |
| Agrimony (Agrimonie) | Agrimonia Eupatoria L. ForJapan probably Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb., Kin-mizuhiki. Used as a purgative. |
| Alcatief, alcatieven | Woollen or silk rug(s) or carpet(s). |
| Allegias | Multi-coloured fine silk fabric from India, sometimes half-silk, half-cotton; sometimes wrought with gold thread. A designation, such as Chargamma or Patchery, may indicate the village where it was made. |
| Almond oil (Amandel olij) | Oleum amygdalarum, an alleviating, nourishing and gentle laxative. |
| Aloe hepatica | Purified liver-coloured dried juice extracted from leaves of the Aloe vulgaris; a laxative. |
| Aqua vitæ | Literally ‘water of life’, a strong alcoholic liquor. |
| Aqua vitæ Mathioli | Composite of many ingredients including cinnamon, ginger, and zedoar root, distilled with brandy; a roborant, strengthening medicine. |
| Arduin | Bluish grey stone used for floors. |
| Armozeen (Armozijn, armozijnen) | Silk or satin-like fabric. |
| Assistant (Assistent) | VOC clerk, ranked below a bookkeeper. |
| Atlas, Atlassen | Fine silk fabric; satin. |
| Awabi (Aobijs) | Ear shell, abalone. Edible mollusc with an ear-shaped shell lined with mother- of-pearl. |
| Bariga | From the Portuguese for belly, used to designate second quality goods. See also Cabessa; Pee |
| Bergwerkje | A mechanical piece in the shape of a mountain with figures and animals such as deer, rabbits, pigs and dogs standing on it, which could be set in motion. |
| Bezoar stones | Hard concretions found in thegastro-intestinal organs of animals. They were believed to possess antidotal properties. |
| Bijvoet | Artemisia vulgaris L. Here probably Artemisia japonica Thunb., Otoko-yomogi, used in moxa. |
| Bilili / Belili | From Latin bilis, bile. Ox gall was used to promote bowel movement. Luce gall was used internally against fevers and externally in eye diseases. |
| Bogij | Yellow raw silk. |
| Bolus armenus | Bolus armena, Armenian red ochre, fatty, pale red earth. Anti-inflammatory and astringent. |
| Bon Festival | Also called Festival of the Lanterns because of the lanterns that were lit on this occasion to welcome, and later bid farewell to the spirits of the dead. The festival started on the thirteenth day of the seventh lunar month and lasted until the sixteenth day, the Feast of the Dead. |
| Bongiois, bongioisen | The etymology of this word is not entirely clear: most probably it is derived from the Japanese ban-shū, denoting officers of the Nagasaki governor, or officials in the service of the local government, generally entrusted with guard and inspection duties. There were several ranks, like opperbongiois (senior) and onderbongiois (junior). During the court journey, an opperbongiois and an onderbongiois, appointed by the Nagasaki governor, acted as escort. The opperbongioisen alternated with other officers from Edo every year. In the early diaries the word bongiois was sometimes used to denote the Deshima otona. |
| Boontje | Small, round piece of cast silver, mame[ita]gin. Also a small gold coin. See Ichibu |
| Boreh-boreh (Borreborrij) | Sweet-smelling, yellow ointment made from coconut oil, sandalwood and curcuma, used by the Javanese. |
| Bourat | A type of woollen and silk fabric. |
| Bōzu (Boos) | A Japanese Buddhist priest. In the diaries generally denoting the private secretaries of the Shogun with a shaven head. |
| Bu | See Ichibu |
| Burgemeester, burgemeesters | Machidoshiyori, mayors chosen by the landed proprietors in Nagasaki. They were appointed for life and their office was hereditary. They took turns as rapporteur burgemeester, presiding over the meeting of the burgemeesters. Every year one had to render account to the Court in Edo. They were subordinate to the governor and their authority was restricted to civil matters and criminal misdemeanours. They also supervised Dutch trade. Sometimes the term indicated an otona. |
| Byōbu (Bijobes) | Japanese folding screen. |
| Cabessa | From the Portuguese for head to designate first quality goods. Also a headman. See also Bariga; Pee |
| Calambac | Resin from the finest kind of aloeswood, with a strong, pleasant scent, used in medicine and fragrance. Or the dried root of the Chinese rhubarb used as a laxative. |
| Cambodian nuts (Cambodiase nootjens) | Used for medicinal oil. |
| Canaster (Canasser) | Wicker container. |
| Candareen (Conderijn) | A monetary unit, one- hundredth of a tael. |
| Cangans | Multi-coloured cotton cloth. |
| Cantharides | Spanish fly, used mainly in vesicatory plasters; also used in tinctures against gonorrhoea. |
| Capado | Eunuch. Custom house official in Tonkin. |
| Caseros, caserossen | Officers who assisted the otonas and deputized for them. The supervision of the warehouses on Deshima was entrusted to their care. The chief caseros was a Deshima otona. Also used in the broader sense of owner of a building on Deshima. |
| Cash (Kasje) | Coins with a hole in the centre; also called picis (pitjes). In Japan a small denomination coin used most frequently for daily transactions. They were strung on cords by the thousand. |
| Cassia lignea | Bark of a plant related but inferior to cinnamon. |
| Catechu (Catchio) | Dried decoction of the pithof the Acacia catechu, an ingredient for thesirih-chew and also used as a styptic medicine. |
| Catty (Cattij) | A unit of weight: 1 catty = 1.25 Amsterdam pound; 100 catties = 125 pounds =1 picul. |
| Cha (Tsia) | Tea. |
| Chela regatty | Very fine cotton fabric from India. |
| Chices | Fabric from Tonkin. |
| Chious | Fabric from Tonkin. |
| Chouwerons / Chiouronghs / Chiourons | Fabric from Tonkin. |
| Cloosterwerck | Ornamental pieces for display made in convents (Du. klooster), usually made up of artificial flowers, sometimes also of fruits. |
| Colophonium | Yellow, transparent resin, residue of the distillation of turpentine. Local stimulant; applied to bleeding; often used to make salves and plasters thick and astringent. |
| Compradoor | Suppliers of provisions and trifles to the Dutch on Deshima. |
| Coquos de Maldiva | Coco de mer, also called double coconut, shaped like a heart. It was believed to possess antidotal properties and considered a panacea. |
| Coutenijs | Fine silk fabric or half silk, half cotton fabric from Gujarat. |
| Coya | A large Chinese rowing boat. |
| Crown-rash (Kroonras) | First quality rash, twilled woollen or silk fabric that was shorn. |
| Daats, daatsen | From the Chinese dacheng. Steelyard, a kind of balance. |
| Daibutsu | Large Buddha statue. The Daibutsu the Dutch visited during the court journey was the one in the Hōkōji in Kyoto. The statue perished in 1798 in a fire after the temple was struck by a thunderbolt. |
| Dairi | The palace of the Japanese Emperor in Miyako (Kyoto), hence the Emperor himself. The Dutch made a distinction between the Dairi, the geestelijke keizer (Spiritual Emperor), and the Shogun, the wereldse keizer (Temporal Emperor). In the dagregisters the term keizer denotes the Shogun and it has been translated as such throughout the text. |
| Dubbeltje | Coin worth two stivers or one-tenth of a guilder. |
| Dwarskijker | Metsuke, any kind of inspector; checker of officials. |
| Eagle-wood (Agerhout, Aguelhout) | Aromatic wood used for incense and in medicine. |
| Facaer, facaeren | A unit of weight used in Tonkin for raw silk. Also denoting a balance. |
| Flapkan | A drinking vessel with a hinged lid, holding ten mutsjes. |
| Flores meliloti | Flowers of the Trifolium odoratum, sweet-smelling clover. Alleviates pain; applied externally to swellings, boils or red eyes. |
| Fox fat | In popular medicine a dead fox was used to make an oil preparation against rheumatism. |
| Furo | Japanese bath. |
| Galiga | A red dye. |
| Gantang (Ganting) | A measure of weight and a liquid measure. One koku of rice was 3 bales or 99 gantang. One gantang was 1⅓ kan. |
| Geldkamer | Kanaba, the accounting office on Deshima where the money transactions of the Dutch took place. |
| Gielam | Silk fabric from Persia, named after Gilan on the Caspian Sea. It was also made in China and Tonkin. |
| Gingham | Striped or checkered cotton-silk fabric from the Coromandel Coast. |
| Gogatsu (Goguats) | The fifth lunar month. |
| Gogatsu gonichi | Japanese holiday celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The Boys’ Festival. |
| Goki (Gockies or broodcooper) | A kind of round copper. Perhaps derived from the Japanese goki-dō. |
| Goose-eye | A pattern used in weaving. |
| Governor (Gouverneur) | Machibugyō, governorof shogunal cities like Edo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagasaki. Two governors presided over Nagasaki, one residing in Nagasaki and the other in Edo, rotating every year. The incoming governor arrived in Nagasaki in the ninth lunar month, before the departure of the Dutch ships. His family had to remain in Edo as surety. Before the reins of government changed hands, both governors tended to visit the Dutch on Deshima and one of the ships. They issued licences to the Dutch for all kinds of purposes. The Dutch had to address the Court in Edo through them. When the opperhoofd was in Edo to pay his respects to the Shogun and the councillors, the governor residing there was responsible for the Dutch and supervised their activities and deportment. Four times a year the opperhoofd was received in audience by the governor in Nagasaki: before his departure on the court journey; after he returned; for the presentation of the hassaku; and on his departure from Japan. The governor was assisted by two secretaries. He dealt with matters of criminal justice and capital punishment, unless it was a matter which concerned the Shogun or shogunal affairs. In that case the governor had to refer to the Court in Edo. |
| Grootrechter | Kyōto shoshidai, the deputy who kept an eye on the imperial court in Miyako (Kyoto) on behalf of the Tokugawa government. As such he ranked above the Governors of Miyako. The Dutch had to apply to him for safe conducts on their journey to and from the Court in Edo. |
| Guilder (Gulden) | Dutch coin, originally of gold and later of silver. One gulden equalled twenty stuivers or 320 penningen. |
| Guinea-cloth (Guinees lijwaet) | Coarse, coloured cotton fabric from Gujarat. Much exported to the West Coast of Africa, hence the name. |
| Gummi ammoniacum | Dried, yellow latex of the Dorema armeniacum Don., resinous grains like incense, bitter. Antispasmodic and stimulating. |
| Gummi galbanum | Dried, yellow or red latex of the Galbanum officinale Don., resinous gum which remains soft, with a bitter, pungent taste and unpleasant odour. Stimulating, especially for the reproductive organs; also used as an antispasmodic and sudorific; applied externally in plasters: Emplastrum de Galbano. |
| Gummi gutae (Gittegomme) | Yellow resin of the garcina cambogia, used as medicine and as a dye. |
| Gummi opoponax | Dried, golden-yellow latex of the Opoponax Chironium Koch., with a bitter, nasty taste and a very strong odour. Antispasmodic; externally applied in plasters such as Emplastrum Divinum. |
| Habutae (Fabita) | white, glossy silk fabric of the finest quality. |
| Hassaku | An exchange of gifts that formerly took place between masters and servants on the first day of the eighth lunar month. The ceremony took the nature of a festival celebrating good relations. The cititzens and officials of Nagasaki presented both governors with gifts, which the Dutch were also obliged to do. They also called it the Nagasaki recognitie. |
| Hayafune (Pheijffene) | Swift boat. |
| Heeresaai | See Saai |
| Hinoki (Finunike) | Cypress. |
| Hockins | From the Vietnamese hoang quyen, a type of yellow silk fabric from Tonkin. The konings hockins, the king’s hockins, were supplied by the King of Tonkin. |
| Hollow root (Boontjes holwortel) | Aristolochia fabacea or Corydalis fabacea, small root shaped like a bean. Warming properties; aborts; also used against strokes and epilepsy. |
| Hyō (Chiou) | A signal. |
| Ichibu (Itziboos) | One bu, a small gold coin, worth a quarter of a koban. |
| Ikje | From ikken = one ken. A Japanese unit of length. One ken = three Dutch ells or six Japanese feet and three inches; one Japanese foot (shaku) = 30.3 cm; one Japanese inch(sun) = 3.03 cm. |
| Inasa (Inassa) | Mountain located opposite Deshima on the other side of Nagasaki Bay. The cemetery of the Dutch and the Chinese is located here in the grounds of the Goshin-ji. The Dutch were granted permission to bury their dead there in 1654. |
| Innocent | A loose-fitting house dress. |
| Intendant (Rentmeester) | Daikan, shogunal agent. |
| Jūbako (Siouback) | A tiered food box, usually lacquered. |
| Kaffir | Derived from the Arabic kafir for unbeliever, a non-Muslim. During the time of the VOC the term referred to the assistants of the Fiscal, who enforced the law. They were usually strong, muscular Africans. Here it means a black African man or boy. |
| Kami (Cammi) | Lord, e.g. Chikuzen-no-kami, Lord of Chikuzen. It is not necessarily equivalent to daimyō, because kami can also refer to an honorary title which was not directly related to the supervision of a particular domain. |
| Kan, kannen | A basic liquid measure, equal to 10 mutsjes or 1.5 litre. |
| Kanban (Cambang) | Sign board: the sales notice hung outside the gate of Deshima to announce a sale or auction of the Company goods. |
| Kapitan (Capitain) | The Japanese title for the Dutch opperhoofd. At the audience with the Shogun, the opperhoofd was announced as ‘Oranda Kapitan’. |
| Katabira (Cataber) | Japanese hemp summergown. |
| Katel | From the South Indian kattil. Bedstead. |
| Katjang | Pulses. |
| Keisei (Keesje) | Japanese courtesan. |
| Keizer (Keyser) | See Dairi |
| Koban (Coubang, Coeban) | Gold coin of 6.5 × 3.2 cm, worth one ryō (a unit of weight for gold). The highest denomination in ordinary circulation. It was valued at six to eight taels. Its size and purity would vary, but its value was approximately equal to one-seventh of an ōban. |
| Kobaya (Coubaijs) | Swift boat. |
| Konings hockins | See Hockins |
| Kōnomono (Connemon) | Pickles. |
| Koopman [Opper-, onder-] | Merchant [Senior –, junior –]. The highest position, that of opperhoofd (chief of a factory), was held by a senior merchant. The next lower rank was that of merchant, and the next lower that of junior merchant. Below them ranked the assistants. |
| Kunchi Festival | The autumn festival held in honour of the deities of the Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki from the seventh to the ninth days of the ninth lunar month. The name is derived from ‘ku’ = nine, of the ninth month (of the lunar calendar), and ‘nichi’ = day. |
| Laken, lakenen | Dutch woollen cloth. |
| Land-gate (Landpoort) | Omotemon. The gate linking Deshima with the city of Nagasaki. This gate was constantly guarded by Japanese guards (monban) and anyone wishing to enter had to show a small wooden pass and had to undergo a body search by so-called voelders (feelers). |
| Last, lasten | Tonnage of ship. A measure of weight, one last of rice was 3066 lbs. One last was also equal to 230 gantang. |
| Leaguer (Legger) | A liquid measure of either 360 kannen of 10 mutsjes or 11 mutsjes each. Barrels of various sizes containing water, wine, vinegar, arrack and sometimes dry goods. |
| Lord (Landsheer) | Although daimyō is now accepted usage in English, some caution is necessary. The term daimyō denotes, ideally speaking, a lord within the Japanese feudal system who has his own domain with a revenue of more than 10,000 koku of rice and is thus of equal rank with the Shogun. It therefore does not refer to hatamoto, direct vassals of the Shogun who were sometimes entrusted with part of the Shogun’s domain. It could not be expected of the Dutch to make this fine distinction. For this reason, we have consistently translated ‘landsheer’ with ‘lord’. |
| Machibugyō | See Governor |
| Magisterium coralliorum | Powder prepared from pulverized red coral, distilled wine vinegar and oleum tartari (potassium carbonate). It is a cardiotonic and antidote and acts against dysentery and bleeding. |
| Mas (Maes, maas) | Unit of weight and a silver monetary unit of one-tenth of a tael. |
| Mas beads | Coral bundled in strings. |
| Mastic | Resina mastix, a resinous gum from the branches of the Pistacia Lentiscus L. It is styptic and promotes digestion; alleviates pain and stops vomiting and diarrhoea; also used as a plaster for the head. |
| Miso (Misou) | Bean paste. |
| Mumia (Mommie) | Name for different kinds of asphalt, especially a substance found in Egyptian graves with which the corpses were embalmed. It was used as medication, i.a. against bone fractures. It was also taken to be embalmed human corpses. Because Egyptian mummies were too expensive, the bodies of men who had died on the gallows were quickly mummified, using a special procedure, for this purpose. |
| Mutsje | A dry and a liquid measure. In the case of the latter, one-tenth of a kan or 1.5 dl. |
| Nachoda | From the Persian na-khuda. Captain of an Asian vessel. |
| Namrak | Sap of the lacquer tree (rak) which grows in Siam and Cambodia. Imported by the Dutch and the Chinese in Japan. |
| Nawab | Viceroy or governor in the Mughal Empire. |
| Nomo (Nombo) | The southernmost tip of the Nagasaki peninsula, where an observation post was established in 1638. |
| Norimono (Norimon) | Palanquin. |
| Nux vomica | The seed of the fruit of the Strychnos Nux vomica L., from which strychnine is extracted. |
| Ōban (Oban) | A gold coin only in use among the daimyō. It was worth ca. 45–50 taels. Its size and purity varied, but it was approximately equal to 7 koban. |
| Oil of vitriol | Oleum vitrioli, sulphuric acid. Undiluted it is a caustic poison and is used to remove warts. Internally it is used only as a very diluted solution in inflammatory fevers. |
| Olive oil | Oleum olivarum, alleviating and nourishing, gentle laxative. |
| Onderbongiois | See Bongiois |
| Opperbongiois | See Bongiois |
| Opperhoofd, opperhoofden | Chief of the Dutch factory on Deshima with the VOC rank of senior merchant or merchant. From 1641 onwards the opperhoofd had to be replaced every year, but he could serve several terms. |
| Orang kaya | A Malay term, denoting an aristocrat, generally with wealth from trade. |
| Ossenabijs | Copper kettles, made in nests of four or five. |
| Otona (Ottena) | Also called wijkmeester by the Dutch, the head of a ward, machi, in Nagasaki. There were about eighty wards in Nagasaki. The otona had to carry out the orders of the burgemeesters, but they also served as a kind of Justice of the Peace. Complaints had to be brought before them and only when they were unable to settle the matter, could the complaint be taken to the burgemeesters. The otona of Deshima, sometimes called huijswaert (landlord) or bongiois of the island, supervised the cleaning of the island and the repairs of the warehouses. He was assisted by caserossen, the oldest of whom was second otona of Deshima. The term was occasionally used for a senior retainer or karō (secretary). |
| Pancado | Term of Portuguese origin for the Japanese system of ito wappu, in which silk was purchased by the Japanese merchants as a group at a price set by the authorities in order to prevent rising prices as a result of competition. Originally applied in 1604 for the Portuguese, from 1631 for the Chinese, it was only enforced for the Dutch after their arrival in Nagasaki in 1641. The system was abolished in 1654 and reinstated in 1685, but lost all importance due to the growth of sericulture in Japan and the takeover of all foreign trade by the Geldkamer (Nagasaki kaishō). It formally continued until the end of the Edo Period. |
| Pansies | Silk cloth from China. |
| Papenberg | See Papeneiland |
| Papeneiland | Takabokojima, an island at the entrance of Nagasaki Bay. Paap (plural papen) is Dutch for a Roman Catholic priest and after the Reformation it became a term of abuse for all Roman Catholics. Papeneiland (Island of Priests) was called thus because it was said that during the persecution of the Christians the victims were thrown from this high island into the sea and thus died a martyr’s death. |
| Pedra de porco | Gallstone of pigs used as an antidote. |
| Pee | From the Portuguese for foot to denote the lowest quality of goods. See also Bariga; Cabessa |
| Pelang | Silk cloth from China and Tonkin. |
| Pelong Festival | Peiron. Dragonboat Festival, during which boat races were held in Nagasaki Bay. It is said that this tradition originated in South China. It was held on the fifth and sixth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. |
| Percale (Parcal, parcallen) | Closely woven cotton fabric. |
| Perpetuana (Perpetuaan) | Durable woollen fabric produced particularly in England. |
| Phrakhlang | Minister for foreign affairs and trade in Siam. |
| Picul (Pikol) | A unit of weight. 1 picul = 10 gantang = 100 catties = 125 Amsterdam pounds.A Japanese picul was 96 catties. |
| Pinang | The fruit of the areca palm, Areca catechu. It contains a stimulating alkaloid and tannins, which give it a pleasantly astringent taste. An extract of the nut is used as a worming agent for animals. |
| Pistachia | Nux pistachiorum, long, angular seeds of the crimson nuts of Pistacia vera L. According to Johan van Beverwyck it was a warming medicine, which could clear the chest and lungs. It was also considered to be a remedy for gravel. |
| Prince’s flag (Prince vlag) | The tricoloured flag (orange – later red – white and blue) used in the Netherlands from the late sixteenth century onwards next to the official Staten (States) flag (yellow with a red lion – in later years vice versa – with arrows). |
| Prinsesaai | See Saai |
| Prunella | Prunella vulgaris L. Japanese: Utsubo- gusa. |
| Putchuk | Dried, fragrant, spicy root of the Aucklandia costus, a species of thistle. Chief ingredient of joss-sticks. Used in medicine as a stomach tonic, diuretic, expectorant. |
| Radix China | Dried root of the Smilax china L. The root is astringent and slightly tonic; the parched and powdered leaves were used as a dressing on burns and scalds. |
| Radix consolida | Dried, yellowish root of the Symphytum officinale L. Stimulates bowel movement. |
| Radix gentiane | Long, thick and smooth brown root of the Gentiana lutea L., has a bitter flavour. Stimulating, especially on the digestive tract. Known to be good for the stomach. |
| Rasamala (Rassemale) | Sweet-smelling, liquid balm. |
| Rasset | The finest quality rash (ras), Dutch woollen fabric. |
| Red roses (Rode rozen) | Flores rosarum rubrarum, dried red roses are stimulating and styptic. Fresh leaves are a laxative. |
| Rokugatsu (Rockguats) | The sixth lunar month. |
| Rompen | Shrivelled nutmegs which had dropped from the tree when still unripe. The nuts contained less fat. They were gathered from the ground and were of inferior quality. |
| Ruptory (Ruptorium) | Medicine applied to burst hard boils. |
| Saai | European twilled woollen cloth. Different grades were designated as heeresaai and prinsesaai. |
| Saffron (Saffraen) | Very small, curled, red fibres from the stigma of the Crocus sativus L. It eases cramps of the bronchial tubes and the intestines. |
| Sakana (Saccanen) | Titbits served to go with sake. |
| Sake | Alcoholic beverage made from Japanese rice. |
| Salempore (Salampourisen) | Cotton cloth or multi-coloured chintz from India. |
| Salpicados | Dotted cotton fabric from the Coromandel Coast. |
| Sampan | Loading barge. |
| Sangatsu sannichi | A Japanese holiday held on the third day of the third lunar month. The Girls’ Festival. |
| Sappanwood (Sappanhout) | Red wood, mainly from Siam, from which a dye was obtained. |
| Schanskleden | Cloths draped along the sides of a vessel. |
| Scharlaken | Fine, scarlet red, woollen fabric. |
| Schuit, Schuiten (diminutive Schuitje) | Shape in which metals were cast, especially tin and iron, to serve as ballast. Also a weight of silver. |
| Schuitgeld | See Schuitzilver |
| Schuitzilver | A weight of silver cast in the shape of a boat (schuit). |
| Secretary (Secretaris) | Karō, Yōnin. Every Governor of Nagasaki had two of these secretaries, who entertained guests and received letters on their behalf. They alternated every year together with the governors. |
| Sekku | Seasonal festival, such as the Girls’ or Boys’ Festival. |
| Sestienes | Silk fabric or shawls from the Coromandel Coast. |
| Setsubun | The day marking the change of the seasons. Setsubun at the end of winter marked the end of the year, since the first day of spring (Risshun) was considered to be the start of the new year. The most common custom to celebrate this Setsubun is Mame-maki, the scattering or throwing of beans (mame) to chase away the evil oni (evil spirits), while shouting Fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto (Fortune in, demons out). |
| Shark’s brain (Haaiebrein) | Sharks were caught during voyages to and from the East Indies. Medicinal properties were attributed to the substance similar to oculi cancrorum, calcium carbonate, found in the heads of sharks, called haaiebrein. When dried, this substance became as hard as a stone. It was then pulverized for use. It was considered a remedy for gravel and hard labour in women. |
| Shichiseki, Tanabata or Star Festival (Sterrefeest) | A celebration of the meeting of two lovers separated by the Milky Way on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. |
| Shōgatsu (Songuats) | Japanese New Year. |
| Shōgatsu fish | Bora, a grey mullet, called Shōgatsu fish by the Dutch because it was caught during the first month of the year, i.e. Shōgatsu. It was exported by the VOC. |
| Somagi | Timber. |
| Span, Spannen | Measure, the length between the thumb and the little finger of an outstretched hand. |
| Spanish mat | Spanish piastre. |
| Stamet, Stametten | A type of Dutch woollen fabric. |
| Sterkwater | Spirits, aquafortis, nitric acid. |
| Stiver (Stuiver) | Dutch coin worth one-twentieth of a guilder. |
| Sugi (Sungij) | Japanese cedar. |
| Tael (Teijl/Taijl, Teijlen/Taijlen) | A monetary unit and a unit of weight: 1 tael = 10 mas = 100 candareens. |
| Taffachelas gingham | Cotton taffachelas. |
| Taffachelas, Taffachelassen | Fine, striped silk or cotton fabric from the Coromandel Coast. |
| Takht-i-rawan (Tachterovan) | Persian for palanquin. |
| Tanna-banna | Fine quality silk from Bengal. |
| Tantiano | The finest quality silk from Bengal. |
| Temenggong (Tommagon) | A Malay term denoting a senior official. |
| Tenbin (Timbees) | A balance, steelyard. |
| Tentō (Tento) | A Japanese boat. |
| Terebinth (Therebentijn) | Sweet-smelling resin from Pinus palustris Mill. and other species of Pinus. There are three kinds: 1. Cyprian (from Pistacia terebinthus); 2. Venetian; 3. Common. All three possess warming, alleviating, purifying and healing powers. It is used in the treatment of illnesses of the lungs, kidneys and the bladder. It is applied externally in various plasters and salves. |
| Toma | Plaited grass mat used as covering for Japanese vessels on shore. |
| Tono | Lord. |
| Wankang (Wancan) | A sea-going Chinese junk of medium size, about 100–150 tons. |
| Water-gate (Waterpoort) | Suimon, the gate on Deshima facing the sea. It was only opened when the ships had to be loaded and unloaded. |
| Wijkmeester | See Otona |
| Yakan (Jacquan) | Small copper kettles. |
| Yamabushi (Jammaboes) | Mountain priest. Members of the Shugendō School of Buddhism, which also contained elements of Shinto. They travelled around the country performing exorcisms and ceremonies of divination and healing. |
| Yokome | Dwarskijker, spy. |
| Zeekat, Zeekatten | Surume, dried cuttlefish. |