anime

Where does the word "anime" come from? It comes from English animation, passing through Japanese before entering English (1980s-1990s).

Anime’s story begins in English: animation meant “the art of animated film.” The general term for the art of moving drawings. By 1900s, the word had taken hold in Japanese as anime. Borrowed and clipped from English "animation". It reached English by 1980s-1990s as anime. Re-borrowed with a narrower meaning as American fans traded subtitled Japanese videotapes in the 1980s; it displaced the earlier 'Japanimation' in the 1990s. Today, anime means a style of animation originating in Japan, often aimed at teens and adults.

1. Stage 1 · English · 1800s-1900s animation "the art of animated film", the general term for the art of moving drawings.
2. Stage 2 · Japanese · 1900s anime "animated film or television", borrowed and clipped from English "animation".
3. Stage 3 · English · 1980s-1990s anime "Japanese-style animation", re-borrowed with a narrower meaning as American fans traded subtitled Japanese videotapes in the 1980s; it displaced the earlier 'Japanimation' in the 1990s.