Where does “bonze” come from?
bonze (English) comes from French bonze, from Portuguese bonzo, from Japanese 凡僧, from Middle Chinese 凡 — ordinary.
bonze (English): A Buddhist monk or priest in East Asia
Definitions
- A Buddhist monk or priest in East Asia
Ancestry of “bonze”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | bonze | bonze, Buddhist priest |
| 2 | Portuguese | bonzo | bonze |
| 3 | Japanese | 凡僧 | An ordinary, lowly, itinerant monk |
| 4 | Middle Chinese | 凡 | ordinary |