Where does “すみません” come from?

すみません (Japanese) comes from Old Japanese 済む — to settle, finish.

すみません (Japanese): sorry!; excuse me!; thank you!

Definitions

  1. sorry!; excuse me!; thank you!

Ancestry of “すみません”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Japanese済むto settle, finish
Every word from Old Japanese 済む →