seppuku

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

Seppuku’s story begins in Japanese: seppuku meant “ritual disembowelment as an honorable death.” Literally 'cutting the belly', the formal samurai ritual suicide. It reached English by 1800s as seppuku. Entered English through Western accounts of samurai custom. Today, seppuku means the formal Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment, once practiced by samurai.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval seppuku "ritual disembowelment as an honorable death", literally 'cutting the belly', the formal samurai ritual suicide.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s seppuku "ritual suicide by disembowelment", entered English through Western accounts of samurai custom.