What is the origin of konsento for electric sockets?

The Japanese name konsento (コンセント) for electric sockets is said to originate from the English "concentric plug" in the form konsentorikku puragu (コンセントリックプラグ).[1]

Some British sockets from around 1900 consisted of concentric (co-axial) contacts, unlike the pinned ones in use today. These were in use in Meiji period (1868-1912) Japan, and the abbreviated form konsento became the accepted way to describe any kind of electrical outlet. This may have been from a split of konsento puragu into konsento to describe the outlet and puragu to describe the plug.


  1. JEWA FAQ 3 from Japan Electrical Wiring System Industries Association (JEWA)

