Where does “三毛猫” come from?

三毛猫 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 三毛, from Japanese 三, from Middle Chinese さん.

三毛猫 (Japanese): a calico cat

Definitions

  1. a calico cat

Ancestry of “三毛猫”, step by step

三毛猫 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 三毛

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese三毛a calico cat's fur, featuring the three colors of white, black, and orange
2Japanese三three, 3; third; three
3Middle Chineseさん—

via Japanese 猫

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese猫a cat
2Old Japaneseねこ—
Every word from Middle Chinese さん →Every word from Japanese 三 →Every word from Japanese 三毛 →