Where does “maneki-neko” come from?

maneki-neko (English) comes from Japanese 招き猫, from Japanese 猫, from Old Japanese ねこ.

maneki-neko (English): A common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner

Definitions

  1. A common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner

Ancestry of “maneki-neko”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese招き猫beckoning cat
2Japanese猫a cat
3Old Japaneseねこ—
Every word from Old Japanese ねこ →Every word from Japanese 猫 →Every word from Japanese 招き猫 →