Inugami
/i.nɯ.ɡa.mi/noun
A Japanese spirit or familiar traditionally associated with a dog and believed in folklore to serve or protect its human master.
Did you know?Folklore from western Japan describes inugami as spirit familiars used for protection, revenge, or sorcery, with possession believed to pass through certain family lines.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Japonic (reconstructed)
Proto-Japonic
*inu
“Dog; the ancestral form behind Japanese inu”
Old Japanese (8th century)
Old Japanese
inu
“Dog”
Old Japanese (8th century)
Old Japanese
kamu/kami
“Deity, sacred spirit, or supernatural being”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
inugami
“A dog spirit or supernatural familiar in Japanese religious folklore”
Edo Period (1603–1868)
Japanese
犬神
“A spirit associated with dog sorcery, possession, protection, or revenge”
Modern English
English
inugami
“A Japanese dog spirit or familiar, especially in folklore, fiction, and occult-themed writing”