Where does the word tsumami come from?

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…