Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Japanese ·1610s
Katana
from 刀 (katana)
- Meaning
- A curved single-edged sword traditionally used by the samurai.
- Source word
- 刀 (katana)
- Route into English
- Japanese *katana* (one-edged blade) → English via 19th-century trade and later via martial-arts films. A very specific technical word; English does not use it for European sword types.
- Arrived
- 1610s
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.