otaku

Where does the word "otaku" come from? It comes from Japanese otaku, and was adopted directly into English (1990s).

Otaku’s story begins in Japanese: otaku meant “your house, formally.” Originally a formal word for your house, later applied to obsessive hobbyists who rarely left home. It reached English by 1990s as otaku. Japanese 'your house', a polite 'you' used among fans; Akio Nakamori popularized it in 1983. Today, otaku means a person with an obsessive interest in a particular hobby, especially anime or manga.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · 1980s otaku "your house, formally", originally a formal word for your house, later applied to obsessive hobbyists who rarely left home.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1990s otaku "a person with an obsessive interest in a hobby", Japanese 'your house', a polite 'you' used among fans; Akio Nakamori popularized it in 1983.