1A-12 Terminologic problems in translated Japanese terms "Totsuzen-hen-i" for "Mutation" and "Yusei, Ressei" for "Dominant, Recessive"

Among a number of widely accepted Japanese terms in genetics, some need to be reexamined for their suitability as translated scientific terms. Representative examples are "totsuzen-hen-i" for "mutation", and "yusei and ressei" for "dominant and recessive", respectively. The term "totsuzen hen-i" has been considered by the general public to mean "de novo mutation", because the Japanese word "totsuzen" means "sudden or unexpected" in English. On the other hand, many people cannot avoid associating the terms "yusei and ressei" with various nuances of meaning that suggest "superior and inferior", respectively. These situations are introduced here on the basis of the results of questionnaires completed by college and university students who attended lectures on genetics as part of liberal arts classes. To remove any remaining negative images associated with genetic terms, suitable replacements for them are being considered by the Editorial Committee for the "Japanese-English Glossary of Genetics" which was established in 2009 as part of the Genetics Society of Japan.