Owarai
/oʊˈwɑːraɪ/noun
A Japanese term for comedy, humorous entertainment, or the comedy industry.
Did you know?The initial o- is a Japanese honorific prefix, so owarai is not simply “laughing” but a respectful or polished way to frame laughter and comedy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Japonic
PJ
*warap-
“Reconstructed root associated with laughing or smiling; the precise prehistoric form is uncertain.”
Old Japanese, 8th Century
Old Japanese
warapu / warau
“To laugh or smile; early Japanese forms show the consonant development later reflected in modern warau.”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
warai
“Laughter; the noun formed from the verb meaning “to laugh.””
Medieval to Early Modern Japanese
Japanese
o- + warai
“An honorific or polite formation meaning, literally, “honored laughter.””
20th Century
Japanese
owarai
“Comedy as a performance genre or entertainment industry, especially television comedy.”
Modern English
English loanword
owarai
“Japanese comedy or Japanese-style humorous entertainment.”