Where does “キー” come from?
キー (Japanese) comes from English key, from English cay, from Spanish Cayo, from Taíno cayo — small island.
キー (Japanese): Synonym of 鍵; chi
Ancestry of “キー”, step by step
キー traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English key
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | key | An object designed to open and close a lock; An... |
| 2 | English | cay | A small, low island largely made of sand or coral |
| 3 | Spanish | Cayo | key island |
| 4 | Taíno | cayo | small island |
via Latin chī
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | chī | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | χεῖ | chi, the name for the twenty-third letter Χ, χ of... |