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I thought the word "mecha" is used to describe devices which are operated by humans, like a Gundam. Essentially mecha is anthropomorphic tank. "Robot" is used

I thought the word "mecha" is used to describe devices which are operated by humans, like a Gundam. Essentially mecha is anthropomorphic tank. "Robot" is used to describe autonomous system, like Marvin or Laputian Robot Troopers

YurgenJurgensen 2y ago
“メカ” refers to any mechanical design. The artists who do “mecha” design in anime will do everything from guns to boats. The English term’s meaning changed when it was re-borrowed.
- RobotToaster 2y ago
  > The English term’s meaning changed when it was re-borrowed. Like the meaning of the term "anime" changed?
  - Uvix 2y ago
    Depends on which borrowing you’re referring to. Japanese uses it like the original French to refer to anything animated, then it was changed when English borrowed it from Japanese to refer specifically to Japanese animation.
  - numpad0 2y ago
    The point is "mech/mecha" as in "biped humanoid machines" is en-US specific. In ja-JP and probably few others it's "robots". "Anime" is more widely understood.
    - hnbad 2y ago
      But then OP is correct: mecha/mech refers to humanoid bipeds. The Japanese word is not mecha but メカ (meka in romaji). EDIT: I'm being pedantic. When used in English, "mecha" or "mech" is an English word and the semantics associated with similar words in other languages don't really matter. Where it gets confusing is that it's used in the context of discussing Japanese media (and its foreign derivatives) in English. The reason I'm being pedantic is that my native language is German and not only have German loanwords in English often mutated in ways that trip up German native speakers (e.g. wanderlust is better translated as Fernweh, whereas Wanderlust is more about hiking and being in nature) but the same is true in the inverse, i.e. a lot of English loan words in German have different or narrower meanings than in English (e.g. a Burger is not a type of Sandwich as that specifically refers to a sandwich using white bread and a Hot Dog always includes the bread and topping/sauces whereas the hot dog is just a Wurst and ground beef is never referred to as sausage or burger).
alexey-salmin 2y ago
Fun fact is that in Russian the word "мех" (reads like "mech" or "meh") means "fur". I was thoroughly confused by mighty furry warriors when I found the "Star Guard" book on the shelf around the age of nine.
jghn 2y ago
Related to this is something that's always bugged me. Playing games like Battletech, at some point the fandom (largely those who came in from the video games) started talking in terms of enjoying playing with "big, stompy robots". But they're .... not robots? It's more like "big, stompy powered armor"

YurgenJurgensen 2y ago

“メカ” refers to any mechanical design. The artists who do “mecha” design in anime will do everything from guns to boats. The English term’s meaning changed when it was re-borrowed.

RobotToaster 2y ago
> The English term’s meaning changed when it was re-borrowed. Like the meaning of the term "anime" changed?
- Uvix 2y ago
  Depends on which borrowing you’re referring to. Japanese uses it like the original French to refer to anything animated, then it was changed when English borrowed it from Japanese to refer specifically to Japanese animation.
- numpad0 2y ago
  The point is "mech/mecha" as in "biped humanoid machines" is en-US specific. In ja-JP and probably few others it's "robots". "Anime" is more widely understood.
  - hnbad 2y ago
    But then OP is correct: mecha/mech refers to humanoid bipeds. The Japanese word is not mecha but メカ (meka in romaji). EDIT: I'm being pedantic. When used in English, "mecha" or "mech" is an English word and the semantics associated with similar words in other languages don't really matter. Where it gets confusing is that it's used in the context of discussing Japanese media (and its foreign derivatives) in English. The reason I'm being pedantic is that my native language is German and not only have German loanwords in English often mutated in ways that trip up German native speakers (e.g. wanderlust is better translated as Fernweh, whereas Wanderlust is more about hiking and being in nature) but the same is true in the inverse, i.e. a lot of English loan words in German have different or narrower meanings than in English (e.g. a Burger is not a type of Sandwich as that specifically refers to a sandwich using white bread and a Hot Dog always includes the bread and topping/sauces whereas the hot dog is just a Wurst and ground beef is never referred to as sausage or burger).

alexey-salmin 2y ago

Fun fact is that in Russian the word "мех" (reads like "mech" or "meh") means "fur". I was thoroughly confused by mighty furry warriors when I found the "Star Guard" book on the shelf around the age of nine.

jghn 2y ago

Related to this is something that's always bugged me. Playing games like Battletech, at some point the fandom (largely those who came in from the video games) started talking in terms of enjoying playing with "big, stompy robots". But they're .... not robots? It's more like "big, stompy powered armor"