カタマラン (Japanese)
Where does "カタマラン" come from?
The Japanese word 'katamaran' is a direct borrowing from the English term, which traces its roots back to the Tamil word 'kaṭṭumaram'. This original term is a compound of 'kaṭṭu,' meaning to bind, and 'maram,' meaning tree or log, perfectly describing a raft made by tying logs together. Through global nautical trade, this descriptive Tamil term traveled into international parlance, eventually reaching Japanese as a loanword for the modern multi-hulled vessel.
Full etymology tree
- カタマラン (katamaran) (Japanese), 'catamaran'
- borrowed கட்டுமரம் (kaṭṭumaram) (Tamil), 'a makeshift boat made by binding logs together with a rope; raft'
- compound கட்டு (kaṭṭu) (Tamil), 'to tie, bind, fasten, shackle'
- inherited *kaṭ- (Proto-Dravidian), 'to tie'
- compound மரம் (maram) (Tamil), 'tree'
- inherited *maran (Proto-Dravidian), 'tree'
- compound கட்டு (kaṭṭu) (Tamil), 'to tie, bind, fasten, shackle'
- borrowed கட்டுமரம் (kaṭṭumaram) (Tamil), 'a makeshift boat made by binding logs together with a rope; raft'
Ancestors
Cognates and doublets
Updated May 2026
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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris