Probably ultimately of Sinitic origin, Mandarin大风(dàfēng, “big wind”), Cantonese大風(daai6 fung1, “big wind”), via Arabicطوفان(ṭūfān), Hindiतूफ़ान(tūfān), and Persianتوفان(tufân). Given the location of typhoons as a Pacific Ocean phenomenon, it is more likely it began east and moved west. Ancient GreekΤυφῶν(Tuphôn, “Typhon, father of the winds”) is unrelated but has secondarily contaminated the word.