ronin

Where does the word "ronin" come from? It comes from Japanese rōnin, and was adopted directly into English (1800s-1900s).

Ronin’s story begins in Japanese: rōnin meant “a masterless, wandering samurai.” Literally 'wave man', describing a samurai adrift without a master to serve. It reached English by 1800s-1900s as ronin. Japanese 'wave man', drifting like a wave; the tale of the 47 Ronin (1703) is Japan's best-known. Today, ronin means a masterless samurai in feudal Japan; by extension, someone acting without an affiliation or sponsor.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval rōnin "a masterless, wandering samurai", literally 'wave man', describing a samurai adrift without a master to serve.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s-1900s ronin "a masterless samurai, or by extension, a lone unaffiliated agent", Japanese 'wave man', drifting like a wave; the tale of the 47 Ronin (1703) is Japan's best-known.