Linguistic Aspects of Ubiquitous Computing: On "Ubiquitous" in Japanese and Korean Information Technology

Abstract

The term "ubiquitous computing" has been reshaped by a world-wide journey. It originated in the West, but began to subside from use. The u-word traveled East and was picked up by national information technology programs in Japan and Korea. These countries re-created the word "ubiquitous" as a loanword in Japanese and Korean, adding new energy. This paper tracks ubiquitous computing first from academia to Japanese and Korean government policy documents and then to the general public in these countries. When the loanwords are reflected back into English they are sometimes used in ways that baffle Westerners. The word "computing" has been dropped, but is understood in the remaining adjective "ubiquitous". Practical advice is offered for effective international communication about ubiquitous computing. The future of ubiquitous terminology is sketched. Opportunities for Korean-Japanese linguistic cooperation are suggested.