Sudoku
/ˈsuː.dəʊ.kuː/noun
A number-placement puzzle in which each row, column, and designated box must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without repetition.
Did you know?Sudoku was created in the United States as “Number Place,” but its globally famous name comes from a shortened Japanese phrase popularized by the puzzle publisher Nikoli.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
數字
“Numerals or written numbers; the characters later read in Japanese as sūji.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
数字 (sūji)
“A number, numeral, or digit.”
20th Century
English
Number Place
“The original title of the puzzle designed by Howard Garns and published in 1979.”
1984
Japanese
数独 (sūdoku)
“A shortened form of 数字は独身に限る, “the numbers must be single” or “single numbers only.””
Late 1980s
Japanese
Sudoku
“The abbreviated title used by Nikoli for the puzzle.”
2004
English
Sudoku
“The Japanese loanword adopted internationally after the puzzle was introduced to British newspapers.”