Really? Protuberance? I have to imagine a native speaker was not in the room when this word was settled on as the one to use. I have never heard or used this word in my whole life lol. Now the other definitions given for this word of bulge; protrusion; projection; swell (2) rise; uplift; upheaval; elevation are all common English words. 
lol
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I mean, it’s not common, but I knew what it meant, so I’ve heard or used it enough.
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Not a native but I didn’t find it odd at all 
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Never heard protuberance before in my life, protrusion is the word I’d almost always use personally 
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Just because it’s a word you’ve never heard doesn’t mean that’s true for anyone else. They list bulge as a synonym so if you like that better, use that instead and/or add the other ones from jisho as alternates.
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Maybe you should try reading books.
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But it’s not a common word at all.
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You don’t know what I read.
The last 200 years of English literature agrees that it isn’t as common as the other definitions.
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There’s “it’s not common” and then there’s “even natives don’t know this word”. I don’t think it reaches that level.
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Did I say that? I said I hadn’t heard the word. Sure there are some natives who have. Don’t put words in my mouth. I said the other definitions were common English words.
I guess I misunderstood the intent of “I have to imagine a native speaker was not in the room when this word was settled on” then.
I, and other native speakers, have gone past this word without the same thought.
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Well that there is a solid point.
Model:
Protuberance
Rarity:
Common
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The intent was that a native speaker would have chosen one of the more commonly known definitions whereas a non-native might look at the first definition and assume it’s a common word. We see it all the time when we, as learners of Japanese, use a word in Japanese but may not be aware of it’s frequency of use.
Excellent for you. That doesn’t change the fact that, as you even agreed, it’s not a common word. What’s your point here?
That the mere presence of any native speaker wouldn’t mean it would definitely change. Protrusion isn’t that common either. Bulge is common, but to me it feels like a different register.
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No it doesn’t guarantee it would change - just that someone might say “Hey one of those others are more commonly used.”
The post was more a humorous observation than a biting critique of WaniKani as the cute little “lol” nestled in between and at the end of the sentences indicates. Geeez.
That kind of comes at it from the position that 隆起 is itself a word that deserves to have a common English word as its gloss.
Okay
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Funnily enough, as a French native ‘protuberance’ is the word I’m the most familiar with in this list (being a pretty common french word)
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Protuberance comes from Latin: protuberans.
So it would be more commonly used in Latin countries. In French, protubérance is a common word.
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Ahhhhhh. Quite.
This word remains one of my banes among meaning-leeches.
And as I can’t think of a usage for it that doesn’t involve either an rude or indiscreet reference to either noses or dicks, I’ve been at a loss to come up with example sentences to help me memorize it… I’ll bet you almost anything, Battle of the Bulge is not called 隆起の戦闘 in Japanese. Just saying.
(I just checked. According to Wikipedia, it’s バルジの戦い.)
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