Ippon
/ˈɪp.ɒn/noun
In judo and some other Japanese martial arts, a decisive score awarded for a winning technique.
Did you know?The pronunciation reflects Japanese sound changes: ichi plus hon becomes ippon, with the h shifting to p and the n assimilating before the following consonant.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
本
“Root, base, origin; later used as a classifier for long cylindrical objects”
Early Japanese
Japanese
hon
“The Sino-Japanese reading of 本, used as a counter for long, narrow objects such as swords, pens, and bottles”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
ichi
“One; the Sino-Japanese reading of 一”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
ippon
“One long object; a compound of ichi and hon shaped by regular sound changes”
20th Century
Japanese martial arts
ippon
“A full or decisive point in judo and related martial arts”
Modern English
English
ippon
“A decisive winning score, especially in judo”