English Language FAQ

Tsunami is a Japanese word combining 'tsu' (port)with 'nami' wave. This word seems to have replaced the more technical 'tidal wave' in public discussion. A broader metaphorical usage has developed to describe an overwhelming combination of events - the government has been overwhelmed by a tsunami of sexual and financial scandals. The word first appeared in a National Geographic Magazine article in 1896. On the evening of June 15, 1896, the northeast coast of Hondo, the main island of Japan, was struck by a great earthquake wave…

The Japanese Contributions to the English Language: An Historical Dictionary (p27) cites six words that arrived in the 1500s:

Oxford English Dictionary editor, John Simpson, explains how Japanese words entered English in three distinct historical phases.

The word tycoon is derived from the Japanese word taikun (大君?).