Ninjutsu
/nɪnˈdʒʊt.su/noun
A Japanese martial tradition associated with espionage, concealment, survival skills, and unconventional warfare.
Did you know?The first character, 忍, is written as 刃 “blade” over 心 “heart,” a striking graphic association with mastering pain, fear, and impulse, though it is not a literal translation of the word.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
忍 (rěn)
“To endure, bear, tolerate, or suppress; this character was later used in Japanese.”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
術 (shù)
“A method, technique, art, or specialized practice.”
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
忍 (nin)
“The Sino-Japanese reading associated with endurance, patience, and concealment.”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
忍術 (ninjutsu)
“Techniques of concealment, intelligence gathering, evasion, and survival associated with shinobi practitioners.”
Early Modern Japan
Japanese
忍びの術 (shinobi no jutsu)
““The techniques of the shinobi,” an alternative descriptive expression for covert skills and methods.”
20th Century
English
ninjutsu
“An English loanword for the martial and espionage tradition popularly associated with ninja.”