nunchaku

Where does the word "nunchaku" come from? It comes from Okinawan nunchaku, passing through Japanese before entering English (1970s).

Nunchaku’s story begins in Okinawan: nunchaku meant “a two-stick weapon joined by a cord or chain.” Developed on Okinawa, possibly from a rice-threshing flail, as a concealed farmer's weapon. By 20th century, the word had taken hold in Japanese as nunchaku. Absorbed into mainland Japanese as Okinawan karate spread nationally. It reached English by 1970s as nunchaku. Popularized worldwide by martial-arts films, especially Bruce Lee's. Today, nunchaku means a martial-arts weapon consisting of two sticks connected by a short chain or cord.

1. Stage 1 · Okinawan · 17th-18th century nunchaku "a two-stick weapon joined by a cord or chain", developed on Okinawa, possibly from a rice-threshing flail, as a concealed farmer's weapon.
2. Stage 2 · Japanese · 20th century nunchaku "a martial-arts flail weapon", absorbed into mainland Japanese as Okinawan karate spread nationally.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1970s nunchaku "a martial-arts weapon of two sticks linked by a cord", popularized worldwide by martial-arts films, especially Bruce Lee's.