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Kawaii

2 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means cute or endearing, especially in the Japanese aesthetic sense
1
Stage 1 of 2
kawayushi
Japanese · medieval
"pitiable, later endearing"
originally meant pitiable or embarrassing, later shifting to mean endearing and lovable
2
Stage 2 of 2
kawaii
English · 1990s
"cute, endearing, especially in Japanese style"
adopted directly as Japanese pop culture spread internationally
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