Where does “じゃ” come from?

じゃ (Japanese) comes from Japanese である, from Japanese で, from Japanese ぜ, from Japanese ぞえ, from Japanese え, from Middle Chinese 衣.

じゃ (Japanese): so, then—used for connecting to a reasonable...

Definitions

  1. so, then—used for connecting to a reasonable...

Ancestry of “じゃ”, step by step

じゃ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese である

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1JapaneseであるTo be: the copula, with the same function as だ and its polite form です
2Japaneseat; with, by, using; indicating the following...
3Japanesesentence-ending particle signifying emphasis,...
4Japaneseぞえ­ sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis, used to lightly press one's point, with affectionate overtones
5JapaneseAlternative form of い
6Middle Chinese

via Middle Chinese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese

Words derived from “じゃ

Every word from Middle Chinese Every word from Japanese Every word from Japanese ぞえ