The English word for Japan came to the West from early trade routes. The early Mandarin Chinese or possibly Wu Chinese word for Japan was recorded by Marco Polo as "Cipangu". In modern Toisanese (a language in the Yue Chinese subgroup), 日本 is pronounced as "Ngìp Bāwn" ], which sounds nearly identical to "Nippon." The Malay and Indonesian words "Jepang", "Jipang", and "Jepun" were borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese languages, and this Malay word was encountered by Portuguese traders in Malacca in the 16th century. It is thought the Portuguese traders were the first to bring the word to Europe. It was first recorded in English in 1577 spelled "Giapan".