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English word origin

Etymology of shojo

From Japanese 少女(しょうじょ) (shōjo, “young woman”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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 style of anime and manga intended for young women.

adj

Being in the style of shōjo manga or anime.

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

From Japanese 少女(しょうじょ) (shōjo, “young woman”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "Shōjo"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese"
    },
    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "少女",
        "2": "しょうじょ",
        "t": "young woman"
      },
      "expansion": "少女(しょうじょ) (shōjo, “young woman”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "少女(しょうじょ)",
      "少女#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A style of anime and manga intended for young women."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 297919
    },
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Being in the style of shōjo manga or anime."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "a8a24cf75b9cbc51d062e85bc7fcb5c4c57c034afe52eadac0f809e9f1651156",
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    }
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A creature in Japanese folklore, often depicted as a sea spirit with red hair and a fondness for alcohol.

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

From Japanese 猩々(しょうじょう) (shōjō).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "Shōjō"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese"
    },
    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "猩々",
        "2": "しょうじょう"
      },
      "expansion": "猩々(しょうじょう) (shōjō)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "猩々(しょうじょう)",
      "猩々#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A creature in Japanese folklore, often depicted as a sea spirit with red hair and a fondness for alcohol."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    "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 shojo →

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-c2hvam8