In the early 20th century, a simple office device sailed across the seas to Japan and Korea, unknowingly carrying with it a name that would become synonymous with staplers in the region. The term “Hotchkiss” has been stamped into the collective consciousness of both Japanese and Korean languages, but the story of how it got there is as much about global trade as it is about linguistics.
According to the fascinating history of the E.H. Hotchkiss Company, the “Hotchkiss” stapler was named after Eliphalet Hubbell Hotchkiss, also known as Eli, who along with his father George, spearheaded the family’s venture into the fastener business. Through financial support from George, the E.H. Hotchkiss Company was started in 1875 and by 1895, Eli had already seized control. This American enterprise would soon find its way to Japan, a country that at the time lacked a similar device, and subsequently to Korea during the Japanese occupation, wherein the fasteners were introduced to Koreans who also adopted the Japanese nomenclature for the object.
The early 1900s saw Japan importing a “boatload” of these fasteners, which led to the term “Hotchkiss” or “Hotchikisu” as it is phonetically adapted in Japanese, becoming the de facto word for staplers.
Further cementing the term’s usage in everyday language, an old photo of a fastener produced in Osaka by the Y.H. Company showcases a design nearly identical to the Hotchkiss, implying a likely agreement between the E.H. Hotchkiss Company and Y.H. Company for production.
Notably, some erroneously believed that the term derived from Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, known for inventing a type of machine gun, but researcher Jim Breen points out that it was in fact Eli Hubbell Hotchkiss who gave the stapler its long-standing moniker.
In Japan, aside from “Hotchkiss”, regional dialects and onomatopoeic creativity have given rise to other names, such as “gatchan” or “jointo,” yet none have overshadowed the legacy of the Hotchkiss No.1.
Relevant articles:
– The Intriguing Story Behind “Hotchkiss”: How a Stapler Brand Became a Household Name in Japan and Korea
– ホッチキス