otaku

English

WOTD – 20 June 2008

Etymology

From Japanese オタク (otaku, “anime obsessive, geek”) originally used in reference to the 1982 Macross fandom, from the honorific form お宅 (otaku, you), from the honorific form 宅 (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əʊˈtɑːkuː/, [əʊ̯ˈtʰɑːkʰuː]
• (US) IPA^(key): /oʊˈtɑku/, [o̞ʊ̯ˈtʰɑkʰu]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

otaku (plural otakus or otaku)

1. (fandom slang) One with an obsessive interest in something, particularly (originally derogatory) obsessive Japanese fans of anime or manga.

Usage notes

• Though the word came to be used in Western countries primarily to denote people who have a strong or obsessive interest in anime and manga, in Japanese it is used more broadly to denote people who are obsessed and interested with or have a heavy interest in any specific topic, theme or hobby. Compared to the term's use in English, when used in Japanese, it more often has derogatory connotations, particularly in its unqualified use.

Hypernyms

• geek, anorak (UK)

Hyponyms

• weeb (non-Japanese people)

Derived terms

• otakuism
• otakukin

Translations

one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga

• Arabic: أُوتَاكُو m (ʔūtākū), عُطَاكُو m (ʕuṭākū)
• Bengali: ওতাকু (ōtaku)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 御宅族 (jyu⁶ zaak^6-2 zuk⁶)

  Mandarin: 宅男 (zh) (zháinán) (male nerd/introvert) , 宅女 (zh) (zháinǚ) (female nerd/introvert) , 粉絲／粉丝 (zh) (fěnsī) , 二次元 (zh) (èrcìyuán) , ACG (fan) , 御宅族 (zh) (yùzháizú), 哈日族 (zh) (hāRìzú), 死宅 (sǐzhái) (one obsessed with Japanese things/weeaboo)

• Esperanto: otako
• Finnish: otaku
• French: otaku (fr) m or f
• German: Otaku (de) m
• Greek: οτάκου m or f (otákou)
• Hebrew: אוֹטָאקוּ m (otáku)
• Italian: otaku (it) m or f
• Japanese: オタク (ja), ヲタク (ja) (otaku), おたく (ja) (kana)
• Korean: 오타쿠 (ko) (otaku), 오덕후 (odeokhu), 씹덕 (ssipdeok) (derogatory, vulgar)
• Macedonian: отаку m (otaku)
• Marathi: ओताकु m (otāku)
• Persian: اتاکو (otâku)
• Polish: otaku (pl) m
• Portuguese: otaku (pt) m or f
• Romanian: otaku (ro) m or f
• Russian: ота́ку (ru) m or f (otáku)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: отаку m

  Roman: otaku m

• Spanish: otaku (es) m or f
• Thai: โอะตะกุ (ò-dtà-gù)
• Ukrainian: ота́ку m or f (otáku)

See also

• fanboy, fangirl, geek
• mangaka
• weeaboo (derogatory)

References

• “An Introduction to the Otaku Movement” (academic paper in English).

Italian

Etymology

First recorded in 1992: from Japanese オタク (otaku, “nerd, geek”), from お宅 (otaku, honorific for “you”), originally the honorific version of 宅 (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oˈta.ku/
• Rhymes: -aku
• Hyphenation: o‧tà‧ku

Noun

otaku m or f by sense (invariable)

1. (fandom slang) otaku (one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga)

Japanese

Romanization

otaku

1. Rōmaji transcription of おたく
2. Rōmaji transcription of オタク

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese オタク (otaku, “nerd, geek”), from お宅 (otaku, honorific for “you”), originally the honorific version of 宅 (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /oˈta.ku/

• Hyphenation: o‧ta‧ku

Noun

otaku m or f by sense (plural otakus)

1. (fandom slang) weeb (one with an interest in something such as anime or manga)

Usage notes

• Informally one can find a feminine otaka, but it is non-standard.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese オタク (otaku, “nerd, geek”), from お宅 (otaku, honorific for “you”), originally the honorific version of 宅 (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oˈtaku/ [oˈt̪a.ku]
• Rhymes: -aku
• Syllabification: o‧ta‧ku

Noun

otaku m or f by sense (plural otakus)

1. (fandom slang) weeb (one with an interest in something such as anime or manga)