Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Japanese ·1880s
Judo
from jūdō
- Meaning
- A Japanese martial art emphasising throws and grappling.
- Source word
- jūdō
- Route into English
- Japanese *jūdō* (gentle way) → English via founder Jigoro Kano's 1880s codification → 20th-century Olympic adoption. Derived from the older *jūjutsu*; Kano stripped out the dangerous techniques to make a teachable sport.
- Arrived
- 1880s
From Japanese
Two waves — Meiji-era diplomatic contact (1850s–1900s) and post-war US military presence (1945–) account for almost all Japanese loans in general English.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.