otaku

English

WOTD – 20 June 2008

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Japanese おたく (“nerd”). Originally refers to one's household. Considered mildly pejorative when used in Japanese.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əʊˈtɑːkuː/, [əʊ̯ˈtʰɑːkuː]
• (US) IPA^(key): /oʊˈtɑku/, [oʊ̯ˈtʰɑku]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

otaku (plural otakus)

1. (fandom slang) One with an obsessive interest in something, particularly anime or manga.

Translations

one with an obsessive interest

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (male nerd) 宅男 (zh) (zháinán), (female nerd) 宅女 (zh) (zháinǚ), 御宅族 (zh) (yùzháizú), (fan) 粉絲, 粉丝 (zh) (fěnsī), (one obsessed with Japanese things) 哈日族 (zh) (hāRìzú)

• Finnish: otaku

• French: otaku (fr) m, f
• Japanese: オタク (otaku), おたく (ja) (otaku)
• Korean: 오타쿠 (ko) (otaku)
• Marathi: ओताकु (otāku)
• Russian: отаку (ru) m, f (otáku)

See also

• fanboy, fangirl

References

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

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Japanese

Romanization

otaku

1. rōmaji reading of おたく
2. rōmaji reading of オタク