taifoen

Dutch

Alternative forms

• tyfoon

Etymology

Probably ultimately of Sinitic origin - see Mandarin 大风 (dàfēng, “big wind”), Cantonese 大風／大风 (daai⁶ fung¹, “big wind”) - via Arabic طوفان (ṭūfān), Hindi तूफ़ान (tūfān), and Persian توفان (tufân). Given the location of typhoons as a Pacific Ocean phenomenon, it is more likely it began east and moved west. Ancient Greek Τυφῶν (Tuphôn, “Typhon, father of the winds”) is unrelated but has secondarily contaminated the word.

Pronunciation

• Audio

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• Hyphenation: tai‧foen

Noun

taifoen m (plural taifoens, diminutive taifoentje n)

1. typhoon