English word origin

Etymology of kei

Borrowed from Japanese 軽 (kei, “lightweight”), from Japanese 軽自動車 (keijidōsha).

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

A class of lightweight vehicles with small engines.

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

Borrowed from Japanese 軽 (kei, “lightweight”), from Japanese 軽自動車 (keijidōsha).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention軽ja · lightweight
Derivation mention軽自動車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": "軽",
        "tr": "kei",
        "t": "lightweight"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Japanese 軽 (kei, “lightweight”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "軽自動車",
        "tr": "keijidōsha"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 軽自動車 (keijidōsha)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "軽",
      "軽#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "軽自動車",
      "軽自動車#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A class of lightweight vehicles with small engines."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Japan"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "091d2b5fa619cc64034b22d95109d5e4a63742d9c213f071a8116fe4d828baec",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 516702
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A type of Japanese street fashion and music aesthetics.

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

Borrowed from Japanese 系 (kei, “style”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention系ja · style

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": "系",
        "tr": "kei",
        "t": "style"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Japanese 系 (kei, “style”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "系",
      "系#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A type of Japanese street fashion and music aesthetics."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Japan"
      ],
      "recordId": "5ad7eb066bc25fdd62ebc50af87aa938cddafd6980efd113899df1e4da7c5f22",
      "rawRecordSha256": "149a395041c5a4e4af2ff923d61bd28f91280515cc3f7bedc8323e9c22d4ec98",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 516703
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

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 kei →

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-a2Vp