What does “kappa” mean? meaning and use

That means kappa: Greek letter, marks sarcastic comment

“Kappa” is both the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet and part of Japanese mythology. In this, the “Kappas” are among the youkai, Japanese demons who are seen as mischievous troublemakers or trickster figures. In the meantime, the term has also become part of young people’s language and often appears on the Internet. Here the expression describes a sarcastic or ambiguous statement.

Origin of Kappa

In Japanese folklore, “kappa” are literally “water demons”. These mythical creatures are among the most well-known creatures in Japanese folklore and have even become the unofficial national symbol in recent years. They are pranksters in character and like to cause trouble.

Josh DeSeno, developer and active user of the Twitch predecessor Justin.tv, developed an emote with the idea of ​​the Japanese “kappa” in mind in 2009. This shows his own face, which smiles mischievously and also spread on Twitch. The “Kappa” smiley became popular as an expression of sarcasm or double meaning in chat and spread to other parts of the internet as well.

This is how you use Kappa

You can use the phrase “kappa” or the twitch emote itself if you want to emphasize that you’re not serious, i.e. jk. Both the smiley face and the term itself are used for this, mostly by trolls and spammers. Chats and comments on the web are mostly short and sweet and peppered with gags and memes, with “Kappa” you prevent misunderstandings.