Translation guide
The academic study of cultures and peoples, often from a comparative or historical perspective. In Japanese, this is typically expressed with the term 民族学 (みんぞくがく), though related fields like cultural anthropology may be more common in some contexts.
民族学
ethnology (academic field)
Referring to the scholarly field that studies ethnic groups, their cultures, and origins.
The standard Japanese term for ethnology as an academic discipline. It specifically focuses on the comparative study of ethnic groups and their cultures.
彼は大学で民族学を専攻している。
He is majoring in ethnology at university.
In Japanese universities, 文化人類学 (cultural anthropology) is more commonly used as a department name than 民族学. However, 民族学 is the direct translation of 'ethnology' and is still used in academic contexts, especially when emphasizing the comparative study of ethnic groups. The distinction is often blurred in practice.
Cultural anthropology. In modern Japanese academia, this term is often used interchangeably with ethnology, though it may emphasize broader cultural aspects. Many university departments use this name.
文化人類学の視点からその儀式を分析した。
We analyzed the ritual from an ethnological perspective.
Ethnography, the descriptive study of individual cultures. Sometimes used in contexts where ethnology is understood as the comparative synthesis of ethnographic data.
民族誌学の手法を用いてフィールドワークを行った。
We conducted fieldwork using ethnological methods.