washi

Where does the word "washi" come from? It comes from Japanese washi, and was adopted directly into English (2000s-2010s).

Washi’s story begins in Japanese: washi meant “traditional handmade Japanese paper.” Literally 'Japanese paper', made by hand from local plant fibers. It reached English by 2000s-2010s as washi. Japanese 'Japanese paper', made from kōzo mulberry bark; UNESCO listed it in 2014. Today, washi means traditional handmade Japanese paper, now also known through decorative washi tape.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · ancient washi "traditional handmade Japanese paper", literally 'Japanese paper', made by hand from local plant fibers.
2. Stage 2 · English · 2000s-2010s washi "traditional Japanese handmade paper, or tape made from it", Japanese 'Japanese paper', made from kōzo mulberry bark; UNESCO listed it in 2014.