Where does “Japankäfer” come from?

Japankäfer (German) comes from German Japan, from Dutch Japan, from Malay Jepang, from Hokkien 日本, from Middle Chinese 日本 — Land of the Rising Sun.

Japankäfer (German): Japanese beetle

Definitions

  1. Japanese beetle

Ancestry of “Japankäfer”, step by step

Japankäfer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Japan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanJapan—
2DutchJapan—
3MalayJepangJapanese
4Hokkien日本Japan; Japanese; Japan
5Middle Chinese日本Land of the Rising Sun

via German Käfer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanKäferbeetle; young girl, wench; Volkswagen Type 1...
2Middle High Germankëvere—
3Old High Germanchevar—
4Proto-West Germanickefrōbeetle
Every word from Middle Chinese 日本 →