different between otaku vs nerd

English

Etymology

From Japanese ??? (otaku, “nerd, geek”), from ?? (otaku, honorific for “you”), originally the honorific version of ? (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???t??ku?/, [????t???k?u?]
• (US) IPA^(key): /o??t?ku/, [o????t??k?u]

Noun

otaku (plural otakus or otaku)

1. (fandom slang) One with an obsessive interest in something, particularly anime or manga.

Synonyms

• geek, anorak

Derived terms

• otakukin

Translations

See also

• fanboy, fangirl, geek
• mangaka

Usage notes

• Though the word came to be used in Western countries primarily to denote people who have a strong or obsessive interest in anime and manga, in Japanese it is used more broadly to denote people who are obsessed with or have a heavy interest in any specific topic, theme or hobby. Compared to the term's use in English, when used in Japanese, it more often has derogatory connotations, particularly in its unqualified use.

References

• “An Introduction to the Otaku Movement” (academic paper in English).

Italian

Etymology

First recorded in 1992: from Japanese ??? (otaku, “nerd, geek”), from ?? (otaku, honorific for “you”), originally the honorific version of ? (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o?ta.ku/
• Hyphenation: o?tà?ku
• Rhymes: -aku

Noun

otaku m or f (invariable)

1. (fandom slang) otaku (one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga)

Japanese

Romanization

otaku

1. R?maji transcription of ???
2. R?maji transcription of ???

Portuguese

Etymology

From Japanese ??? (otaku, “nerd, geek”), from ?? (otaku, honorific for “you”), originally the honorific version of ? (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o?ta.ku/
• Hyphenation: o?ta?ku

Noun

otaku m, f (plural otakus)

1. (fandom slang) weeb (one with an interest in something such as anime or manga)

Usage notes

Informally one can find a feminine otaka, but it is non-standard.

Spanish

Etymology

From Japanese ??? (otaku, “nerd, geek”), from ?? (otaku, honorific for “you”), originally the honorific version of ? (taku, “home”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o?taku/, [o?t?a.ku]
• Hyphenation: o?ta?ku

Noun

otaku m or f (plural otakus)

1. (fandom slang) otaku (one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga)

English

Alternative forms

• knurd (folk etymology, very rare)
• nurd (very rare)

Etymology

Unknown. Attested since 1951 as US student slang.

• Perhaps an alteration of nerts (“nuts", "crazy”); see references below.
• The word, capitalized, appeared in 1950 in Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran the Zoo as the name of an imaginary animal:

  And then, just to show them, I’ll sail to Katroo / And bring back an It-Kutch, a Preep and a Proo, / A Nerkle, a Nerd and a Seersucker too!

• Various unlikely folk etymologies and less likely backronymic speculations also exist.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: nûd, IPA^(key): /n??d/
• (US) enPR: nûrd, IPA^(key): /n??d/
• Rhymes: -??(r)d

Noun

nerd (plural nerds)

1. (slang, sometimes derogatory) A person who is intellectual but generally introverted.
   • 1953 Advertisement for "Businessman's Lunch", a play by Micheal Quinn, in Patricia Brown, Gloria Mundi
2. (informal, sometimes derogatory) One who has an intense, obsessive interest in something.

   Synonyms: geek, otaku

3. (slang, always derogatory) An unattractive, socially awkward, annoying, undesirable, and/or boring, person; a dork.

   Synonyms: dag (Australian), doofus, dork, dweeb, geek, goober, loser, propeller head, twerp

4. A member of a subculture revolving around video games, fantasy and science fiction, comic books and assorted media. [from 1980s]

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:dork

Derived terms

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “nerd”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Further reading

• nerd on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Nerds on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Anagrams

• dern, rend

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English nerd.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nø?rt/
• Hyphenation: nerd

Noun

nerd m (plural nerds, diminutive nerdje n)

1. nerd

Derived terms

• computernerd
• gamenerd
• internetnerd
• nerderig
• nerdo

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from English nerd.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nærd/, /nø??/
• Rhymes: -ærd, -ø??

Noun

nerd m (definite singular nerden, indefinite plural nerder, definite plural nerdene)

1. a nerd

References

• “nerd” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from English nerd.

Noun

nerd m (definite singular nerden, indefinite plural nerdar, definite plural nerdane)

1. a nerd

References

• “nerd” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

From English nerd.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n?rt/

Noun

nerd m pers

1. (derogatory) nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted)

Declension

Further reading

• nerd in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• nerd in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English nerd.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n??d??/, /?n??.d??i/

Noun

nerd m, f (plural nerds)

1. nerd (intellectual, introverted and quirky person)

   Synonyms: CDF, totó

Adjective

nerd (invariable, comparable)

1. nerdy (who is a nerd)

Usage notes

Until recently, this word was somewhat pejorative. Nowadays it is used both negatively and positively.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ne?d/, [?ne?ð?]

Noun

nerd m or f (plural nerds)

1. nerd