Definition of typhoon

The word "typhoon" originated from the Chinese language, specifically from the David-Lessall system of romanization called the Wade-Giles system, where it was spelled "taifūng" (台風). During the 16th century, Portuguese sailors who had the opportunity to interact with the Chinese sailors and seafarers began adopting this term to refer to violent and destructive tropical cyclones observed in the Western Pacific Ocean. The Portuguese then brought the term with them when they started trading with the Spanish in Asia, who technically ruled the Philippines at that time. The Spanish then adapted the term, transliterating and translating it into "tifón," and introduced it in the Spanish language. This Spanish term was then popularized by the Spaniards and spread to other neighboring languages, including English, where it eventually became the standard word for typhoons in the Western Pacific region. However, despite popular belief, the term "typhoon" does not have any particular association with the Philippines, as it derives from a Chinese term for storms, not from any Philippine word. Rather, its use to describe violent tropical cyclones over the Pacific Ocean is simply a result of historical circumstance.