Nekomata
/ˌnɛkoʊˈmɑːtə/noun
A Japanese yōkai traditionally portrayed as an old cat whose tail has split into two, granting it supernatural powers.
Did you know?Medieval Japanese tales claimed that an aging domestic cat could transform into a nekomata, sometimes gaining the ability to speak, dance, or manipulate the dead.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
neko
“Cat”
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
mata
“Forked, branching, or again; the precise origin of the compound’s second element is debated”
Heian–Kamakura Periods
Japanese
猫又
“Nekomata; a cat-like supernatural creature associated with transformation”
c. 1330
Japanese
猫また
“A legendary cat that has grown old and acquired supernatural abilities, recorded in Tsurezuregusa”
17th–18th Centuries
Japanese
猫又
“A two-tailed cat yōkai increasingly depicted in encyclopedic and illustrated folklore”
Modern English
English
nekomata
“A Japanese yōkai, usually represented as a two-tailed supernatural cat”
Explore more surprising origins