Where does “お盆” come from?

お盆 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 盆, from Japanese 盂蘭盆, from Middle Chinese 盂蘭盆.

お盆 (Japanese): a tray

Definitions

  1. a tray

Ancestry of “お盆”, step by step

お盆 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 盆

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese盆a tray; a flat earthenware pot, bowl, or basin;...
2Japanese盂蘭盆A Buddhist observance honoring the spirits of...
3Middle Chinese盂蘭盆—

via Japanese 御

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese御"indicates that the is honorific"; often used to...
2Middle Chinese御—

Words derived from “お盆”

Every word from Middle Chinese 盂蘭盆 →Every word from Japanese 盂蘭盆 →Every word from Japanese 盆 →