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Where does the word "emoji" come from? It comes from Japanese emoji, and was adopted directly into English (2010s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "emoji" come from? It comes from Japanese emoji, and was adopted directly into English (2010s).
Emoji’s story begins in Japanese: emoji meant “picture character.” Coined from "e" (picture) and "moji" (character), not from "emotion". It reached English by 2010s as emoji. Spread globally with smartphone keyboards. Today, emoji means a small digital icon used to express an idea, emotion, or object in text.
- Stage 1 · Japanese · 1990s emoji "picture character", coined from "e" (picture) and "moji" (character), not from "emotion".
- Stage 2 · English · 2010s emoji "a small digital icon expressing an idea or feeling", spread globally with smartphone keyboards.