emoji

See also: Emoji

English

WOTD – 17 July 2018

Four emojis: 🍇, 😂, 🙄, and 🐙

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”). The word is etymologically unrelated to emotion and emoticon, but the coincidental phonetic resemblance may have facilitated its adoption into English.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪˈməʊdʒi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪˈmoʊd͡ʒi/, /iˈmoʊd͡ʒi/

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊdʒi
• Hyphenation: emo‧ji

Noun

emoji (plural emojis or emoji)

1. A digital graphic icon with a unique code point used to represent a concept, object, person, animal or place, originally used in Japanese text messaging but since adopted internationally in other contexts such as social media. Or, by extension, any non-standard emoji-like image inserted inline in text, i.e. an image emoticon.

   Coordinate terms: emoticon, kaomoji, sticker

   • 2002, Language International: The Business Resource for a Multilingual Age, volume 14, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 45:

     In order to communicate quickly, many mobile phone users use emoji characters (similar to emoticons) while sending messages. Service providers have also created a set of emoji characters and have added support for it.

   • 2010 April 17, Martin Bryant, “Twitter Reveals Details of New ‘Annotated Tweets’ Feature”, in The Next Web‎^[2], archived from the original on 22 February 2017:

     One of the most exciting announcements at Twitter's Chirp conference this week was "Annotated Tweets". […] The data attached doesn't have to be simple text. Twitter suggests examples such as MIDI data (for music) or emoji (for fancy emoticons).

   • 2011 April 5, Sam Biddle, “IRL Emojis: Our New Favourite Way to Waste Time on the Phone”, in Gizmodo‎^[3], archived from the original on 20 March 2013:

     So what do a bunch of dudes with iPhones do when they haven't eaten all day, are waiting at your restaurant table, starving, annoyed, and need to pass the time. They innovate. They bring emojis to life. In public. […] Give it a shot – it's probably the one semi-practical thing you can do with an emoji […].

   • 2017, Marcel Danesi, “Emoji Grammar”, in The Semiotics of Emoji (Bloomsbury Advances in Semiotics), London, New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury Academic, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 77:

     Like any natural language grammar, the distribution of emoji in texts, as well as the construction of phrases and sentences with emoji symbols in them, implies a systematic structure, otherwise it would be impossible to literally "read" the emoji texts.

   • 2017 August, Vyvyan Evans, “What’s in a Word?”, in The Emoji Code: The Linguistics behind Smiley Faces and Scaredy Cats, 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: Picador, →ISBN, page 102:

     At present, Emoji functions not to replace the linguistic mode, but to complement it – the good old-fashioned English word is not going to be in danger any time soon. Emoji enables, arguably for the first time, a multimodal component to text-based digital communication, providing a code that fills out the communicative message in the linguistic mode, conveyed through text.

   • 2018 March 24, “Apple Wants to Introduce New Emojis for Disabled People”, in BBC News‎^[4], archived from the original on 9 July 2018:

     Apple wants to introduce new emojis to better represent people with disabilities. A guide dog, a wheelchair user and prosthetic limbs are just some of the symbols it's suggested.

   • 2023 July 17, Benjamin Laker, “Emojis in the Modern Workplace: A Psychological Perspective”, in Psychology Today‎^[5]:

     In addition to promoting efficient communication, emojis foster a sense of camaraderie and unity among coworkers. This was demonstrated during the initial stages of the pandemic when Slack employees used the ❤️ emoji to express solidarity and emotional support.

Derived terms

• emojification
• emoji flag sequence
• emojify
• emojipasta
• emoji sequence
• emoji ZWJ sequence

 

Related terms

• mojibake

Translations

digital graphic icon

• Arabic: إِيمُوجِي m (ʔīmūjī)
• Armenian: էմոջի (ēmoǰi)
• Belarusian: эмо́дзі n (emódzi)
• Bengali: ইমোজি (imōji)
• Bulgarian: емо́джи n (emódži)
• Burmese: အီမိုဂျီ (my) (imuigyi)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 繪文字 / 绘文字 (kui² man⁴ zi⁶)

  Mandarin: 繪文字 / 绘文字 (zh) (huìwénzì)

• Czech: emodži (cs) n, emoji n
• Dutch: emoji (nl) m
• Esperanto: emoĝio
• Finnish: emoji (fi)
• French: emoji (fr) m, émoji (fr) m
• German: Emoji (de) n
• Greek: εμότζι (el) n (emótzi)
• Hebrew: אֶמוֹגִ׳י m (emojí), פַּרְצוּפוֹן (he) m (partsufón)
• Hindi: इमोजी m (imojī)
• Hungarian: emodzsi (hu)
• Icelandic: tjákn n, tjámerki n
• Ido: emoji
• Indonesian: emoji
• Italian: emoji (it) f
• Japanese: 絵文字 (ja) (えもじ, emoji)
• Kazakh: сынтаңба (syntañba)
• Korean: 에모지 (emoji), 이모지 (imoji)
• Lao: ອີໂມຈິ (ʼī mō chi)
• Macedonian: емоџи n (emodži)
• Maori: emohi
• Marathi: इमोजी m (imojī)
• Pashto: اېموجي m or m pl (emoji)
• Persian: اموجی (emoji), ایموجی (imoji), شکلک (fa) (šeklak)
• Polish: emoji (pl) n
• Portuguese: emoji (pt) m, emóji m (rare)
• Romanian: emoji n
• Russian: эмо́дзи (ru) n (emódzi)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: емоџи n

• Spanish: emoyi (es) m, emoji (es) m
• Swedish: emoji (sv) c
• Thai: เอโมจิ
• Tigrinya: ኢሞጂ (ʾimoǧi), ስሜት ገላጭ ምስል (səmet gälač̣ məsl)
• Turkish: emoji (tr), sındamga
• Ukrainian: емо́дзі n (emódzi)
• Urdu: ایموجی m (imojī)
• Yakut: эмодьи (emoji)

Further reading

• emoji on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• ojime

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈemoji/, [ˈe̞mo̞ji]
• Rhymes: -emoji
• Hyphenation^(key): emo‧ji

Noun

emoji

1. emoji.

Declension

Inflection of emoji (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)
nominative		emoji	emojit
genitive		emojin	emojien emojeiden emojeitten
partitive		emojia	emojeita emojeja
illative		emojiin	emojeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		emoji	emojit
accusative	nom.	emoji	emojit
	gen.	emojin
genitive		emojin	emojien emojeiden emojeitten
partitive		emojia	emojeita emojeja
inessive		emojissa	emojeissa
elative		emojista	emojeista
illative		emojiin	emojeihin
adessive		emojilla	emojeilla
ablative		emojilta	emojeilta
allative		emojille	emojeille
essive		emojina	emojeina
translative		emojiksi	emojeiksi
abessive		emojitta	emojeitta
instructive		—	emojein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of emoji (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative emojini emojini accusative nom. emojini emojini gen. emojini genitive emojini emojieni emojeideni emojeitteni partitive emojiani emojeitani emojejani inessive emojissani emojeissani elative emojistani emojeistani illative emojiini emojeihini adessive emojillani emojeillani ablative emojiltani emojeiltani allative emojilleni emojeilleni essive emojinani emojeinani translative emojikseni emojeikseni abessive emojittani emojeittani instructive — — comitative — emojeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative emojisi emojisi accusative nom. emojisi emojisi gen. emojisi genitive emojisi emojiesi emojeidesi emojeittesi partitive emojiasi emojeitasi emojejasi inessive emojissasi emojeissasi elative emojistasi emojeistasi illative emojiisi emojeihisi adessive emojillasi emojeillasi ablative emojiltasi emojeiltasi allative emojillesi emojeillesi essive emojinasi emojeinasi translative emojiksesi emojeiksesi abessive emojittasi emojeittasi instructive — — comitative — emojeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative emojimme emojimme accusative nom. emojimme emojimme gen. emojimme genitive emojimme emojiemme emojeidemme emojeittemme partitive emojiamme emojeitamme emojejamme inessive emojissamme emojeissamme elative emojistamme emojeistamme illative emojiimme emojeihimme adessive emojillamme emojeillamme ablative emojiltamme emojeiltamme allative emojillemme emojeillemme essive emojinamme emojeinamme translative emojiksemme emojeiksemme abessive emojittamme emojeittamme instructive — — comitative — emojeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative emojinne emojinne accusative nom. emojinne emojinne gen. emojinne genitive emojinne emojienne emojeidenne emojeittenne partitive emojianne emojeitanne emojejanne inessive emojissanne emojeissanne elative emojistanne emojeistanne illative emojiinne emojeihinne adessive emojillanne emojeillanne ablative emojiltanne emojeiltanne allative emojillenne emojeillenne essive emojinanne emojeinanne translative emojiksenne emojeiksenne abessive emojittanne emojeittanne instructive — — comitative — emojeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative emojinsa emojinsa accusative nom. emojinsa emojinsa gen. emojinsa genitive emojinsa emojiensa emojeidensa emojeittensa partitive emojiaan emojiansa emojeitaan emojejaan emojeitansa emojejansa inessive emojissaan emojissansa emojeissaan emojeissansa elative emojistaan emojistansa emojeistaan emojeistansa illative emojiinsa emojeihinsa adessive emojillaan emojillansa emojeillaan emojeillansa ablative emojiltaan emojiltansa emojeiltaan emojeiltansa allative emojilleen emojillensa emojeilleen emojeillensa essive emojinaan emojinansa emojeinaan emojeinansa translative emojikseen emojiksensa emojeikseen emojeiksensa abessive emojittaan emojittansa emojeittaan emojeittansa instructive — — comitative — emojeineen emojeinensa

Further reading

• “emoji”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[6] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Alternative forms

• émoji

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.mo.(d)ʒi/

• Audio (Switzerland):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -i

Noun

emoji m (plural emojis)

1. emoji (“digital graphic icon used to represent a concept or object”)

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”). The apparent connection to emotion and emoticon is coincidental.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.mo.d͡ʒi/
• Hyphenation: é‧mo‧ji

Noun

emoji (uncountable)

1. A digital graphic icon with a unique code point used to represent a concept or object, originally used in Japanese text messaging but since adopted internationally in other contexts such as social media.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eˈmɔ.d͡ʒi/
• Rhymes: -ɔdʒi

Noun

emoji f or m (invariable)

1. emoji

Further reading

• emoji in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Japanese

Romanization

emoji

1. Rōmaji transcription of えもじ

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English emoji, from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /eˈmo.ʒi/

Noun

emoji m (plural emojis)

1. emoji (“digital graphic icon used to represent a concept or object”)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from English emoji, from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.ˈmo.d͡ʒi/, /e.ˈmo.ʒi/
• Hyphenation: e‧mo‧ji

Noun

emoji n (plural emojiuri)

1. emoji (“digital graphic icon used to represent a concept or object”)

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	emoji	emojiul		emojiuri	emojiurile
genitive-dative	emoji	emojiului		emojiuri	emojiurilor
vocative	emojiule			emojiurilor

References

• emoji in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Spanish

Alternative forms

• emoyi

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eˈmoxi/ [eˈmo.xi]
  • Rhymes: -oxi
  • Syllabification: e‧mo‧ji

 

• IPA^(key): /eˈmoʝi/ [eˈmo.ʝi]

• IPA^(key): (everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay) /eˈmoʝi/ [eˈmo.ʝi]
• IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /eˈmoʃi/ [eˈmo.ʃi]
• IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /eˈmoʒi/ [eˈmo.ʒi]

• • Rhymes: -oʝi

Noun

emoji m (plural emojis)

1. emoji (“digital graphic icon used to represent a concept or object”)

Further reading

• “emoji”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

emoji class IX (plural emoji class X)

1. emoji (“digital graphic icon used to represent a concept or object”).

Swedish

Noun

emoji c

1. an emoji

Declension

Declension of emoji

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	emoji	emojis
	definite	emojin	emojins
plural	indefinite	emojis, emojier	emojis, emojiers
	definite	emojisarna, emojierna	emojisarnas, emojiernas

References

• emoji in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• emoji in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Turkish

Etymology

From French émoji, from Japanese 絵文字(えもじ) (emoji), from 絵(え) (e, “picture”) + 文字(もじ) (moji, “character”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.mɔ.ʒi/

Noun

emoji (definite accusative emojiyi, plural emojiler)

1. emoji (“digital graphic icon used to represent a concept or object”)

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	emoji
Definite accusative	emojiyi
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	emoji	emojiler
Definite accusative	emojiyi	emojileri
Dative	emojiye	emojilere
Locative	emojide	emojilerde
Ablative	emojiden	emojilerden
Genitive	emojinin	emojilerin