西山助蔵の「英語単語帳」

抄録

Nishiyama Sukezo (西山助蔵), an employee of the U. S. Legation since 1856, made up an 'English and Japanese Wordbook' which is owned by the localarchives in Shimoda (豆州下田郷土資料館).This 'Wordbook' is little known among the researchers of English studies in Japan. It is only introduced in the local papers or in the Archives's pamphlet.
Sukezo was employed as a houseboy of the U. S. Consulate when Townsend Harris, the first U. S. Consul to Japan, arrived at Shimoda in 1856. Sukezo retired from his job after 14 years of service and lived in peace in his native town of Shimioda.
Having no background in English at all, he attempted to make up an English and Japanese wordbook by himself, by copying about 5000 words from the original book which was compiled by W. H. Medhurst : An English and Japanese and Japanese and English Vocabulary, published in Batavia in 1830.
Medhust's “Vocabulary” was widely used by Western linguists, so-called 'Japanologists' and missionaries who studied Japanese. This book helped a great deal for the achievement of their scholastic publications on the Japanese language.
Medhurst's “Vocabulary” helped not only Western scholars but it also contributed for the English studies in Japan. It first appeared as『英語箋一名米語箋』edited by村上英俊in1859 (安政4年), based on Medhurst's “Vocabulary”.
Sukezo supposedly borrowed this “Vocabulary” from his master, Heusken, and started copying it while he was serving in the U. S. Legation. In the Sukezo's Word-book', 4947 words are listed while in the original “Vocabulary”, 5276. What does this balance tell us ? The writer attempts to make it clear why it occurred and what Sukezo ommited from the original and also discusses the scholastic value of the Word-book' made up by an ordinary young man who had no background of English.