Where does “light novel” come from?
light novel (English) comes from Japanese ライトノベル, from English novel, from Italian novella, from Latin novella, from Latin novellus, from Latin -ellus, from Latin -ulus, from Proto-Italic -olos — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
light novel (English): A Japanese novel primarily targeting young adults, typically illustrated (in an anime/manga style) and containing not more than 50,000 words
Definitions
- A Japanese novel primarily targeting young adults, typically illustrated (in an anime/manga style) and containing not more than 50,000 words
Ancestry of “light novel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | ライトノベル | a light novel |
| 2 | English | novel | Newly made, formed or evolved; having no... |
| 3 | Italian | novella | feminine singular of novello; tale, story, short... |
| 4 | Latin | novella | a newly planted vine or shoot; nominative... |
| 5 | Latin | novellus | new, young, fresh; novel, newly made |
| 6 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 7 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |