Where does “mecha” come from?
mecha (English) comes from Japanese メカ, from Japanese メカニック, from English mechanic, from Middle English mechanike, from Old French mecanique, from Latin mēchanicus, from Ancient Greek μηχανικός, from Ancient Greek -ικός — -y, -ic.
mecha (English): A large armoured robot on legs, typically...
Definitions
- A large armoured robot on legs, typically...
Ancestry of “mecha”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Japanese | メカ | mechanism; machine; a mechanic; a robot; a mecha |
| 2 | Japanese | メカニック | a mechanic; mechanics; operation; mechanism |
| 3 | English | mechanic | mechanical; relating to the laws of motion in the... |
| 4 | Middle English | mechanike | mechanic art |
| 5 | Old French | mecanique | — |
| 6 | Latin | mēchanicus | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μηχανικός | ingenious, resourceful; of or pertaining to... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |