Tsukumogami
/tsɯ.kɯ.mo̞.ɡa̠.mi/noun
A Japanese folkloric spirit believed to inhabit an object after it has existed for roughly one hundred years.
Did you know?Medieval Japanese picture scrolls helped popularize the idea that discarded household objects could gain souls and revolt against their human owners.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
tsukumo
“A traditional word associated with ninety-nine, and also with an old plant name; later used in the supernatural term.”
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
kami
“A deity, spirit, or sacred presence; after sound changes in the compound, it appears as gami.”
Late Heian–Kamakura Periods
Japanese
付喪神
“A written form interpreted as an attached or inhabiting spirit; the characters function partly as a semantic rendering of the concept.”
14th–16th Centuries
Japanese
九十九神
“A variant written as “ninety-nine spirits or gods,” reflecting the belief that objects could become animate after great age, conventionally around one hundred years.”
17th–19th Centuries
Japanese
付喪神／九十九神
“A recurring folkloric category for animated tools, utensils, instruments, and other aging objects.”
Modern English
English
tsukumogami
“A loanword for a Japanese object-spirit or supernatural artifact, widely used in folklore studies and popular culture.”