Where does “bonzo” come from?

bonzo (Italian) comes from Portuguese bonzo, from Japanese 凡僧, from Middle Chinese 凡 — ordinary.

bonzo (Italian): bonze

Definitions

  1. bonze

Ancestry of “bonzo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesebonzobonze
2Japanese凡僧An ordinary, lowly, itinerant monk
3Middle Chinese凡ordinary
Every word from Middle Chinese 凡 →Every word from Japanese 凡僧 →Every word from Portuguese bonzo →
bonzo — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer