Where does “はずれ” come from?

はずれ (Japanese) comes from Japanese 葉, from Middle Chinese 葉.

はずれ (Japanese): end, verge

Definitions

  1. end, verge

Ancestry of “はずれ”, step by step

はずれ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japaneseleaf, needle, blade; a season, an age: a shorter...
2Middle Chinese

via Japanese 外れる

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese外れるto be disconnected, to get out of place, to be off, to be out (e.g. of gear)
Every word from Middle Chinese Every word from Japanese