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Kamikaze

3 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means a suicide attack, or (loosely) a reckless, self-destructive act
1
Stage 1 of 3
kami + kaze
Japanese · 1200s
"divine wind"
literally "divine wind", a typhoon believed to have destroyed an invading fleet
2
Stage 2 of 3
kamikaze
Japanese · 1944
"a suicide attack pilot"
revived as the name for suicide attack pilots in World War II
3
Stage 3 of 3
kamikaze
English · 1940s
"a reckless, self-destructive act or person"
adopted during World War II, later used more loosely
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