*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of kami

Borrowed from Japanese 神 (kami, “god, spirit, deity”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

An animistic god or spirit in the Shinto religion of Japan. · The metaphysical causal generator of motion, life, or divinish aura.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Japanese 神 (kami, “god, spirit, deity”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mention神ja
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "神",
        "4": "",
        "5": "god, spirit, deity",
        "tr": "kami"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Japanese 神 (kami, “god, spirit, deity”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "神",
      "神#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An animistic god or spirit in the Shinto religion of Japan.",
        "The metaphysical causal generator of motion, life, or divinish aura."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "566c5d5ddedf2c3fdc515187facf065d796ff6032ca6c18a739a741912d15ba8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "92743e6ac52b32e6d36c3caa3b964de213eea559da324b985279ebc50b77c3d3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 28392
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A basic origami paper, usually printed with a colour or pattern on one side.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Japanese 紙 (kami, “paper”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mention紙ja
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "origami paper"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "紙",
        "4": "",
        "5": "paper",
        "tr": "kami"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Japanese 紙 (kami, “paper”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "origami",
      "origami"
    ],
    [
      "crane",
      "crane"
    ],
    [
      "紙",
      "紙#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A basic origami paper, usually printed with a colour or pattern on one side."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "87c1672b7c8248a88608ba419462962170eea6295353861b6dac854b4298016d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a76c603407df14e5a34d3cd98aaf5a3824fe5a301043e47d72f24b2d4de4256e",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 28393
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for kami →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-a2FtaQ