Emojis are the perfect mode to convey messages or things you cannot express in words. These little emblems were first discovered in the late 90s by a group of Japanese people working for a telecom company. In 2007, when Apple introduced their first iPhone, an emoji keyboard was inserted in the operating system. And soon the little emblem of emotions has pretty much taken over the world. Over the years, users across the globe have changed some emojis to mean things differently from how they were originally intended.
On the occasion of World Emoji Day, we share 10 emojis that we frequently use and their original meaning derived from the Japanese culture.
* Monkey covering the face emojiWhat it really means: I see no evil. This See-No-Evil monkey has hands covering his eyes, as part of the proverb ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’.
* Dancing girlsWhat it really means: Those twin girls wearing bunny years represents the Japanese concept of ‘Bunny girls’, or in simple terms ‘Playboy bunnies’.
* Dancing girlWhat it really means: Dancer
* Praying handsWhat is really means: According to the Japanese symbol, the emoji is used to express apology or gratitude.
* Red face devilWhat it really means: Japanese ogre
* Hands on the head girlWhat is really means: Since the girl has her hands on her head, it means she has converted herself into a human symbol of ‘ok’. The Japanese use this symbol whenever they want to write ‘ok’.
* Air BlowWhat it really means: Driving there at a speed
* Shooting StarWhat it really means: It is not a star at all. The emoji indicates ‘dizziness’.
* Open palmsWhat it really means: In Japanese culture, these open palms represent a hug.
* Teardrop faceWhat it really means: It is a sleepy drool face, another sleeping emoji. The tear on the face is actually a dribble.