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:

  Cantonese: 御宅族 ‎(jyu⁶ zaak⁶⁻² zuk⁶)

  Mandarin: (male nerd) 宅男 (zh) ‎(zháinán), (female nerd) 宅女 (zh) ‎(zháinǚ), 御宅族 (zh) ‎(yùzháizú), (fan) 粉絲 (zh), 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: ота́ку (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