Etymology

Probably ultimately of Sinitic origin, Mandarin 大风 ‎(dàfēng, “big wind”), Cantonese 大風 ‎(daai⁶ fung¹, “big wind”), via Arabic طوفان ‎(ṭūfān), Hindi तूफ़ान ‎(tūfān), and Persian توفان ‎(tufân). Given the location of typhoons as a Pacific Ocean phenomenon, it is more likely it began east and moved west. Ancient Greek Τυφῶν ‎(Tuphôn, “Typhon, father of the winds”) is unrelated but has secondarily contaminated the word.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: tai‧foen