Where does “元” come from?

元 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 始め, from Japanese 始める — begin; start; initiate; originate.

元 (Japanese): cause, origin; basis, foundation; cost

Definitions

  1. cause, origin; basis, foundation; cost

Ancestry of “元”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese始めbeginning, the start of an activity or time...
2Japanese始めるbegin; start; initiate; originate

Words derived from “元”

Every word from Japanese 始める →Every word from Japanese 始め →