English
eyecatch
Eyecatch comes from Japanese アイキャッチ, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kap-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-1root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
- Japanesemodernアイキャッチ1aikyatchi
- Englishearliest quotation 2007eyecatch1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English eyecatch
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2007, E Taylor, Dating-Simulation Games: Leisure and Gaming of Japanese Yout: “Tootemo! Pheromone has an "eyecatch” between each scene consisting…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-Wiktionary, English eyecatchroot named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
- JapanesemodernアイキャッチWiktionary, English eyecatchaikyatchi
- Englishearliest quotation 2007eyecatchWiktionary, English eyecatch. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2007, E Taylor, Dating-Simulation Games: Leisure and Gaming of Japanese Yout: “Tootemo! Pheromone has an "eyecatch” between each scene consisting…”
The story
Phono-semantic matching of Japanese アイキャッチ (aikyatchi), itself a wasei eigo (和製英語; pseudo-anglicism) derived from eye + catch.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap-
had, head, case, except, heavy, accept, capital, captain, behavior, cash, receive, heavily, capacity, chapter, escape, capable, achieve, cable, capture, chase, perception, haven, reception, cape, occupation, recipe, behave, chef, cabin, chapel, capitol, hawk, recipient, cattle, susceptible, capita, anticipation, anticipate, caption, captive, 176 more
Today it means
noun A short scene or illustration used to begin and end a commercial break in a Japanese television program.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “eyecatch”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / eyecatch