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English word origin

Etymology of onsen

From Japanese 温泉 (onsen), from Middle Chinese 溫泉 ('won dzjwen, “hot springs”), from 溫 /温 (wēn, “warm”) + 泉 (quán, “spring[s]”). Compare the modern Mandarin pronunciation 溫泉 /温泉 (wēnquán).

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In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A (Japanese) hot spring. · A Japanese-style resort hotel at a natural hot spring, offering on-site bathing.

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

From Japanese 温泉 (onsen), from Middle Chinese 溫泉 ('won dzjwen, “hot springs”), from 溫 /温 (wēn, “warm”) + 泉 (quán, “spring[s]”). Compare the modern Mandarin pronunciation 溫泉 /温泉 (wēnquán).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "温泉",
        "tr": "onsen"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 温泉 (onsen)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ltc",
        "3": "溫泉",
        "4": "",
        "5": "hot springs"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Chinese 溫泉 ('won dzjwen, “hot springs”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cmn",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "温泉",
      "温泉#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "溫泉",
      "溫泉#Middle_Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "hot spring",
      "hot spring"
    ],
    [
      "溫",
      "溫#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "温",
      "温#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "warm",
      "warm"
    ],
    [
      "泉",
      "泉#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "spring",
      "spring"
    ],
    [
      "s",
      "springs"
    ],
    [
      "溫泉",
      "溫泉#Mandarin"
    ],
    [
      "温泉",
      "温泉#Mandarin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A (Japanese) hot spring.",
        "A Japanese-style resort hotel at a natural hot spring, offering on-site bathing."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c57783dc652f0da0773daea9931a45d5c0f52921dad1addc4ca77ee2972bbde8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "92e24605babcd50f66b7fa6b72be7113aa6d74ea10fda78c90311552d147b85c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2679658
    }
  ],
  "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 onsen →

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-b25zZW4