A typhoon is a very strong tropical storm with powerful winds and heavy rain, especially in the western Pacific Ocean. It is similar to a hurricane or cyclone in other parts of the world.
From Cantonese and other Chinese forms like "taai fung" meaning great wind, blended in European languages with Arabic "ṭūfān" and Greek "Typhon," a mythological storm giant. The overlapping storm ideas fused into the modern word.
Typhoon, hurricane, and cyclone are basically the same type of monster storm—just in different ocean neighborhoods. The word "typhoon" is a global mash‑up of Chinese, Arabic, and Greek, showing how sailors traded words as well as goods.
Storms, including typhoons, were historically given female names in many naming systems, reflecting gendered personification of nature as capricious or destructive women. Modern naming practices have shifted to alternating or mixed-gender name lists.
Use 'typhoon' neutrally as a meteorological term and avoid gendered personification (e.g., calling a woman a 'typhoon' as a stereotype of emotional volatility).
["tropical cyclone","storm"]
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