Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Japanese ·1950s
Karate
from kara-te
- Meaning
- Literally "empty hand" (空手) — martial art practiced without weapons.
- Source word
- kara-te
- Route into English
- Okinawan → Japanese → English via US servicemen stationed in Okinawa after 1945. Hollywood (*The Karate Kid*, 1984) entrenched the word in English beyond dojo culture.
- Arrived
- 1950s
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.