War, law & rule

samurai

A samurai was originally 'one who serves': the word is the noun of the old verb saburafu, 'to attend on', and the b softened to m in Middle Japanese. English took it in 1727; Russia used it for the enemy in the war of 1904–05, and Kurosawa's films made it worldwide.

Weakest linkCertain

The road to English

From Japanese to Russian

From Japanese to Korean

From English to French

From English to German

From English to Spanish

From English to Modern Hebrew

From English to Arabic

950 CEJapanese

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

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