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Torii

2 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means a traditional Japanese gate marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
torii
Japanese · ancient
"a sacred gate before a shrine"
named the traditional gateway marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine
2
Stage 2 of 2
torii
English · 1800s
"a traditional Japanese shrine gate"
borrowed by Western travelers and scholars describing Japanese religious architecture
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