Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A great tidal disturbance which may be caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or barometric depressions.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A very large and destructive
wave , generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean, such as anundersea earthquake or volcanic eruption.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word tsunami.
Examples
-
The term tsunami comes from two Japanese words that mean "harbor" and "wave."
-
The word tsunami is Japanese for harbor wave, and many times the worst physical damage comes once the waves enter the confines of a harbor, said Costas Synolakis, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Tsunami Research Center at the University of Southern California.
-
And the Japanese, after all, invented the term tsunami.
Boing Boing Maggie Koerth-Baker 2011
-
The question I find myself asking is: If the word tsunami originates from the Japanese language because earthquakes are a frequent event there why would anyone in their right mind build a nuclear reactor right on top of a fault line?
-
"If the word tsunami originates from the Japanese language because earthquakes are a frequent event there why would anyone in their right mind build a nuclear reactor right on top of a fault line?"
-
The question I find myself asking is: If the word tsunami originates from the Japanese language because earthquakes are a frequent event there why would anyone in their right mind build a nuclear reactor right on top of a fault line?
-
In other words, in Japanese the word tsunami seems to cover any huge wave that could wipe out a town, be it caused by an especially high tide, a storm, or earthquake.
-
In the land that coined the term "tsunami," the word never came up in Nuclear Wonderland.
Kenny Ausubel: The Sting: Social Biomimicry and The Role of Fraud in Nature Kenny Ausubel 2011
-
In the land that coined the term "tsunami," the word never came up in Nuclear Wonderland.
Kenny Ausubel: The Sting: Social Biomimicry and The Role of Fraud in Nature Kenny Ausubel 2011
-
Former Solicitor General Walter Dellinger predicts the decision will lead to what he calls a tsunami of challenges to state and local gun laws.
oroboros commented on the word tsunami
Mud puddle ripples
Are like tsunamis to fleas,
Yo! Dudes! The surf's up!
August 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tsunami
Woah, that's deep.
Or shallow, depending on your point of view. ;-)
August 20, 2007
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
Ha! Great poem!
August 20, 2007
bilby commented on the word tsunami
Original meaning great wind rather than great wave, I'm told.
November 21, 2007
vanishedone commented on the word tsunami
Meaning 'harbour wave' according to every source I've seen.
November 21, 2007
bilby commented on the word tsunami
I need more Japanese friends. Now.
November 21, 2007
pterodactyl commented on the word tsunami
Do you pronounce the T? I do, but I'm beginning to suspect I'm the only one who does.
April 3, 2008
Prolagus commented on the word tsunami
Yes, the T is to be pronounced (according to the few Japanese lessons I attended).
The explanation of the etymology is this.
「津波」の語は、通常の波とは異なり、沖合を航行する船舶の被害は少ないにもかかわらず、港（津）では大きな被害をもたらすことに由来する。日本は、近海の地震の他、遠隔地の地震からも被害を受ける場合がある。「津波（浪）」の語が文献に現れる最古の例は『駿府記』（作者不詳、慶長16年 - 元和元年）で、慶長16年10月28日（1611年12月2日）に発生した慶長三陸地震についての記述「政宗領所海涯人屋、波濤大漲来、悉流失す。溺死者五千人。世曰津浪云々」である。なお、表記は「津波（浪）」の他に「海立」、「震汐」、「海嘯」と書く場合があり、これらすべて「つなみ」と読む。
英語で、Tsunamiという語が初めて使われたのは、ラフカディオ・ハーン（小泉八雲）が1897年（明治30年）に出版した著作集「仏の畠の落ち穂」 (Gleaming in Budda-Fields) の中に収録された『生神様』 (A Living God) の中とされる。濱口梧陵をモデルにした1『生神様』では、地震後に沿岸の村を飲み込んだ巨大な波を「Tsunami」と現地語（日本語）で表現した。これが、出版された文献で確認できるところの初出とされる。その後の事例は、1904年の地震学の学会報告にはじまり、地震、気象の学術論文等に限られていたようである。元々英語圏では"tidal wave" という語が使われてきたが、この語は本来潮汐 (tide) による波を指し、地震による波にこの語を使うのは学問的にふさわしくないとされ、現在では tsunami が用いられる。研究者の間では"seismic sea wave"（「地震性海洋波」）という語が使われることもあったが、あまり一般的ではなかった。1946年、アリューシャン地震でハワイに津波の大被害があった際、日系移民が "tsunami" という語を用いたことから、ハワイでこの語が使われるようになり、被害を受けて設置された太平洋津波警報センターの名称も1949年には Pacific Tsunami Warning Center とされたことから、アメリカ合衆国ではこの語が広く用いられるようになり、その後、1968年にアメリカの海洋学者ヴァン・ドーン (Van Dorn) が学術用語として使うことを提案し2、国際語化した。
日本国外も含め「津波は引き波から来る」という伝承が広く広まっているが、必ず引き波から来るわけではなく誤解である。しかし、引き波に対して津波を警戒することは有効であり、スマトラ沖地震ではその教訓により死者を出さなかった地域がある。
「ツナミ」は学術用語として広く国際語になっていたが、スマトラ沖地震による津波が激甚な被害をもたらしたことが世界中に報道されたことを契機に、一気に各国の言語で一般語になった。
NHK テレビ・ラジオの非常放送（英語）では始めに「tsunami, tidal wave」と呼称される。
April 3, 2008
Prolagus commented on the word tsunami
Male's hairy nipples
Are like volcanoes to fleas...
April 3, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word tsunami
Yes, I pronounce the T, just like in tsar.
April 3, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
I'm wondering whether pterodactyl pronounces the p in his/her name. ;-)
April 3, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word tsunami
I had a guinea pig named Pfeffer, and she pronounced the P in her name.
April 3, 2008
Prolagus commented on the word tsunami
I pronounce my P.
April 3, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
She...she did?
*wants to see a talking guinea pig*
April 3, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word tsunami
reesetee, do you pronounce your T?
April 4, 2008
bilby commented on the word tsunami
I only ever indulge in T with the little finger extended elegantly.
April 4, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
Oh no, c_b. The T is silent. So are all the Es.
April 4, 2008
yarb commented on the word tsunami
This reminds me of the Edward Woodward joke...
April 5, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
The one about the four Ds?
April 5, 2008
yarb commented on the word tsunami
Yes. I will never tire of that joke!
April 5, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
You'd better tell it, yarb. Not everyone knows about that gem. ;-)
April 5, 2008
yarb commented on the word tsunami
Let's tell it together rt:
Why does Edward Woodward have four d's in his name?
April 5, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
Because if he didn't, he would be Ewar Woowar!
April 5, 2008
yarb commented on the word tsunami
Comedy gold!
April 5, 2008
Prolagus commented on the word tsunami
Especially on a tsunami page!
April 5, 2008
pterodactyl commented on the word tsunami
Because reesetee asked... pterodactyl does not pronounce the "P" in his username. And thereby hangs a tale. See my user page for the (rather silly) story.
April 5, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tsunami
Heehee! Excellent story, pterodactyl! And I do sympathize, having a few hearing-impaired friends myself. Thank heavens they have good senses of humor. :-)
April 5, 2008
yarb commented on the word tsunami
...the cities whose shit/surges into the sea in tsunamis...
- Peter Reading, C, 1984
September 28, 2008