Where does “そと” come from?

そと (Japanese) comes from Japanese 外, from Middle Chinese 外.

Ancestry of “そと”, step by step

そと traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 外

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese外(the) outside
2Middle Chinese外—

via Japanese 背

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese背back, behind; stature
Every word from Middle Chinese 外 →Every word from Japanese 外 →