Onsen
/o̞ɴ.se̞ɴ/noun
A Japanese hot spring or bathing facility supplied by naturally heated mineral water.
Did you know?Many onsen are associated with Japan’s volcanic landscape, while bathing culture also reflects older purification practices connected with Shinto.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
溫泉
“A warm or hot spring; the written compound later borrowed into Japanese.”
8th Century
Old Japanese
温泉
“A hot spring, recorded in early Japanese literature and geographic descriptions.”
Middle Japanese
Sino-Japanese
オンセン
“The Sino-Japanese reading onsen, formed from on 温, “warm,” and sen 泉, “spring.””
19th–20th Century
Japanese
温泉
“A naturally heated spring and the bathing establishments built around it.”
Modern English
English
onsen
“An English loanword for a Japanese hot spring or traditional hot-spring bath.”
Explore more surprising origins