Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Japanese ·1890s
Sensei
from sensei
- Meaning
- A teacher or master, especially in martial arts.
- Source word
- sensei
- Route into English
- Japanese *sensei* (born before, i.e. elder) → English via martial-arts schools. In Japan the title is used for any respected professional — including doctors and lawyers; in English it is almost exclusively martial-arts.
- Arrived
- 1890s
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.