When you hear 'sudoku' are you hearing English or Japanese?

'Sudoku' is a word borrowed from Japanese 'sudoku'. The word entered the English language some time around 2004.

sudoku [noun] [2004]

A puzzle in which several numbers are to be filled into a 9x9 grid of squares so that every row, every column, and ever...

See 'sudoku' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Japanese.

Etymology: Japanese 'sūdoku' short for 'sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru' "the numerals must remain single" (i.e., the digits can occur only once)

See more loan words from 2000s.