Where does “本” come from?

本 (Chinese) comes from English purl, from Middle English pirle, from Italian pirla — dick, cock, prick; fool, moron, idiot.

Ancestry of “本”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpurlA particular stitch in knitting; an inversion of...
2Middle Englishpirlewhirligig
3Italianpirladick, cock, prick; fool, moron, idiot
Every word from Italian pirla →Every word from Middle English pirle →Every word from English purl →