Where does “閻魔” come from?
閻魔 (Chinese) comes from Sanskrit यम, from Sanskrit ज, from Proto-Indo-Aryan ȷ́ás, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ȷ́ás, from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- — to produce, to beget, to give birth.
Ancestry of “閻魔”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | यम | a twin, one of a pair or couple; a pair or a... |
| 2 | Sanskrit | ज | born, begotten. gotten from; produced or caused... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | ȷ́ás | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ȷ́ás | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |