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Where does the word "tycoon" come from? It comes from Chinese dà jūn, passing through Japanese before entering English (1860s).
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Where does the word "tycoon" come from? It comes from Chinese dà jūn, passing through Japanese before entering English (1860s).
Tycoon’s story begins in Chinese: dà jūn meant “great prince.” An old written compound meaning "great prince" or "great army". By 1850s-1860s, the word had taken hold in Japanese as taikun. Used as a title for the shogun when dealing with foreign powers. It reached English by 1860s as tycoon. Brought back to the US by officials who dealt with Japan; applied to Lincoln, then business magnates. Today, tycoon means a wealthy, powerful business leader.
- Stage 1 · Chinese · ancient dà jūn "great prince", an old written compound meaning "great prince" or "great army".
- Stage 2 · Japanese · 1850s-1860s taikun "great lord", used as a title for the shogun when dealing with foreign powers.
- Stage 3 · English · 1860s tycoon "a powerful, wealthy leader", brought back to the US by officials who dealt with Japan; applied to Lincoln, then business magnates.