Yuki-Onna
/ˌjuːki ˈɒnə/noun
A supernatural woman or spirit of snow in Japanese folklore who appears during winter storms.
Did you know?In many legends, the yuki-onna is not simply a monster: she may spare a traveler, marry a human, or vanish when her supernatural identity is exposed.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Japanese
yuki
“Snow”
Old Japanese
Japanese
wominä
“Woman; female person”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
yuki-onna
“Snow woman; a female winter apparition in folklore”
18th–19th Century
Japanese
雪女
“Snow woman, written with characters meaning “snow” and “woman””
1899
English
yuki-onna
“A Japanese snow spirit, popularized in English-language folklore writing”
Modern English
English
yuki-onna
“A supernatural snow woman or winter spirit from Japanese legend”