Etymology

uncanny valley

Today it means: A range of appearances, mannerisms, or behaviors of a humanoid figure that are subtly different from a human and thereby cause feelings of discomfort, such as fear or revulsion. Full definition →

Japanese 不気味の谷
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The story

  1. Japanese · calque of不気味の谷
  2. English todayuncanny valley

Calque of Japanese 不気味の谷 (bukimi no tani), from 不気味 (bukimi, “eerie, uncanny”, of Middle Chinese origin, literally “bad taste and smell”) + の (no, noun modifier particle) + 谷 (tani, “valley”). First used in 1970 by roboticist Masahiro Mori.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.