"Otaku" is well know as big fan of anime or manga, comic books.
But actually, "otaku" doesn't mean only anime or manga lover.
Original meaning comes from "someone with strong interests or desire in particular areas or fields with deep knowledge and an abiding love" towards anime, comic books, idol, train and air craft, computer and so on. This new word popped up and became familiar among Japanese people around late 1970's. Otaku people tend to be indoor person and love to correct particular thing that they are into. For long time, this word had negative image to express people who spend their time mostly at home or always sitting in front of computer and show their interests only what they love.
(Well, this sounds really like a lot of people these days though!)
In English, otaku can be translated as "geek" "nerd" or "freak" such as computer freak.
Nowadays, this Japanese word has been used in all over the world.
Today "otaku" expand its meaning and we use this word to describe things that you love and shows that you have a lot of knowledge about it.
おたく otaku {noun}
Example....
◆コンピューターおたく computer otaku = computer freak
◆ゲームおたく geemu otaku = game lover
◆スポーツカーおたく supootsu kaa otaku = sports car lover
◆映画おたく eiga otaku = movie lover *person who loves to watch every king of films and know all about films
◆魚おたく sakana otaku = fish lover *person who loves all about fish and loves to learn about fishes
◆英語おたく eigo otaku = English lover *person who loves to study anything about English
So here is the reason why I named my blog as "Nihongo Otaku"!
My blog is for all "Nihongo Otaku" who loves to study anything about Japanese language from old proverb to new slang.
By the way, how do we spell "otaku"? in hiragana or katakana?
Answer is both. This is a coined word or a part of slang, so that sometimes people write in katakana.
I would say, it depends on person.
There are some people who know about particular area very deep almost like they can have a degree with it as a professor.
If so, you can call them "博士 hakase", in English "an expert" "Doctor" to show your respect, in stead of "otaku".
And also, people who love to collect particular stuff is called "コレクター korekutaa", in English "collector".
##### Similar word #####
～好き ～ずき -zuki = --- lover {NA adjective}
This word describes a favorite or hobby that the person loves to do.
◆カラオケ好き karaoke zuki = karaoke lover × we don't say, karaoke otaku.
◆甘いもの好き amaimono zuki = sweets lover *such as cake, ice cream × we don't say, amaimono otaku
◆女好き onna zuki = woman chaser *man who easily go after a woman × we don't say, onnna otaku
◆男好き otoko zuki = man chaser *woman who easily go after a man × we don't say, otoko ootaku
◆いたずら好き itazura zuki = prank lover *person who always does prank
◆旅行好き ryokoo zuki = travel bug, travel lover *person who loves to go travel
So are you a "otaku" for something?
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