kowtow

/ˌkaʊˈtaʊ/ Chinese Origin Culture

Original Word

叩头

Mandarin (kòu tóu)

Entered English

Early 19th century

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "kowtow"

From Mandarin 'kòu tóu' (叩头), literally 'knock head', referring to the act of kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground as a sign of deep respect in imperial China. Now used figuratively for excessive deference.

Example Usage

"The manager refused to kowtow to unreasonable demands."

All Chinese Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

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