Where does “bonsai” come from?

Bonsai comes from Japanese 盆栽, combining 盆 (bon, "tray") and 栽 (sai, "planting").

bonsai (English): A tree or plant that has been miniaturized by...

Definitions

  1. A tree or plant that has been miniaturized by...

Ancestry of “bonsai”, step by step

bonsai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 盆栽

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese盆栽a potted plant that has been grown and...
2Middle Chinese盆—

via Japanese bonsai

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanesebonsai—

Words derived from “bonsai”

Every word from Middle Chinese 盆 →Every word from Japanese 盆栽 →