kamikaze

Where does the word "kamikaze" come from? It comes from Japanese kami + kaze, passing through Japanese before entering English (1940s).

Kamikaze’s story begins in Japanese: kami + kaze meant “divine wind.” Literally "divine wind", a typhoon believed to have destroyed an invading fleet. Within Japanese, it grew into kamikaze by 1944. Revived as the name for suicide attack pilots in World War II. It reached English by 1940s as kamikaze. Adopted during World War II, later used more loosely. Today, kamikaze means a suicide attack, or (loosely) a reckless, self-destructive act.

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