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Hibakusha

2 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Where does the word "hibakusha" come from? It comes from Japanese hibakusha, adopted directly into English (1950s-1960s).

hibakusha→hibakusha

Japanese · 1945

"a survivor of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki"

literally 'bomb-affected person', coined to name survivors of the atomic bombings

English · 1950s-1960s

"a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombings"

adopted directly into English-language journalism and history for lack of an equivalent term

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