Where does “です” come from?
です (Japanese) comes from Japanese である, from Japanese で, from Japanese ぜ, from Japanese ぞえ, from Japanese え, from Middle Chinese 衣.
です (Japanese): form of to be
Definitions
- form of to be
Ancestry of “です”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | である | To be: the copula, with the same function as だ and its polite form です |
| 2 | Japanese | で | at; with, by, using; indicating the following... |
| 3 | Japanese | ぜ | sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis,... |
| 4 | Japanese | ぞえ | sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis, used to lightly press one's point, with affectionate overtones |
| 5 | Japanese | え | Alternative form of い |
| 6 | Middle Chinese | 衣 | — |