Youkai
/ˈjoʊ.kaɪ/noun
A supernatural creature or spirit in Japanese folklore.
Did you know?The term does not originally belong exclusively to Japanese folklore: 妖怪 was borrowed from Classical Chinese, where it referred broadly to ominous, uncanny, or supernatural phenomena.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
妖怪 (yāoguài)
“An uncanny, abnormal, or supernatural phenomenon; a monster or portent”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
妖怪 (ʔjew kæjh)
“A strange or ominous supernatural manifestation”
Ancient–Medieval Japan
Japanese
妖怪 (yōkai)
“A supernatural anomaly, apparition, or monstrous being”
Edo Period
Japanese
妖怪 (yōkai)
“A broad category of folkloric spirits, monsters, and uncanny beings”
20th Century
English
yōkai / yokai
“A supernatural creature or spirit from Japanese folklore”
Modern English
English
youkai
“A variant romanization of yokai, used in English-language writing about Japanese mythology”