Where does “karate” come from?
Karate is an English word derived from Japanese 空手, composed of 空 meaning "empty" and 手 meaning "hand."
karate (English): An Okinawan martial art involving primarily...
Definitions
- An Okinawan martial art involving primarily...
Ancestry of “karate”, step by step
karate traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 空手
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 空手 | karate; the state of being empty-handed; the... |
| 2 | Japanese | 唐手 | Alternative spelling of 空手 |
| 3 | Japanese | 唐 | foreign lands in general; element in compounds,... |
| 4 | Japanese | 伽羅 | the Gaya confederacy: a grouping of smaller states on the southern end of the Korean peninsula, roughly dating to 42-532 |
| 5 | Sanskrit | कालागुरु | — |
via Japanese から%て
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | から%て | — |