shinto

Where does the word "shinto" come from? It comes from Japanese shindō, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1800s).

Shinto’s story begins in Japanese: shindō meant “the way of the kami, or gods.” Coined using borrowed Chinese characters to distinguish the native 'way of the gods' from Buddhism. It reached English by 1600s-1800s as Shinto. Chinese-derived 'way of the gods'; the Japanese form is 'kami no michi'. Today, shinto means the indigenous animist and ancestor-venerating religion of Japan.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · 6th century shindō "the way of the kami, or gods", coined using borrowed Chinese characters to distinguish the native 'way of the gods' from Buddhism.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s-1800s Shinto "Japan's indigenous nature and ancestor worship", Chinese-derived 'way of the gods'; the Japanese form is 'kami no michi'.