otaku
/oʊˈtɑː.kuː/
Japanese Origin
Culture
Original Word
おたく
Hiragana (otaku)
Entered English
1990s
First recorded usage in English
The Story Behind "otaku"
From Japanese 'otaku' (おたく), originally a polite second-person pronoun that evolved to mean someone obsessively devoted to anime, manga, or other pop culture. The term gained notoriety after the 1989 Tsutomu Miyazaki case, but has since been reclaimed as a badge of pride.
Example Usage
"The convention was filled with otaku showing off their cosplay costumes."