Origami

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɒ.ɹɪˈɡɑː.mɪ/

Definitions

1. The practice of crafting intricate figures by folding paper into three-dimensional designs showcases creativity and skill
2. The creative technique of shaping flat paper into decorative forms by folding without cutting or gluing
3. A traditional craft involving folding sheets of paper systematically to produce figures or objects

Etymology: The Japanese word "origami" is built from two plain parts: "ori", meaning "to fold", and "kami", meaning "paper". Its first element, "ori", is the stem of a verb, so the compound literally describes the act of folding paper. The Japanese pronunciation shifts "kami" to "gami" when it follows another word, which is why the English form ends in "-gami" rather than "-kami". English borrowed the word from Japanese, so it arrived with its original meaning intact: a single compound describing the craft itself rather than a loan translated piece by piece. The word's sense has remained fixed on paper folding as an art, which is the same sense the term carries in Japan.