sumo

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

Sumo’s story begins in Japanese: sumo meant “traditional Japanese wrestling.” A form of full-contact wrestling with roots in ancient Shinto ritual. It reached English by 1900s as sumo. Records of sumo go back to the 700s; tournaments were held at the imperial court. Today, sumo means a traditional Japanese form of wrestling between two large competitors.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · ancient sumo "traditional Japanese wrestling", a form of full-contact wrestling with roots in ancient Shinto ritual.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s sumo "traditional Japanese wrestling", records of sumo go back to the 700s; tournaments were held at the imperial court.