Etymology Explorer › Japanese

Where does “兄弟” come from?

兄弟 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 兄, from Old Japanese あに, from Japanese の, from Old Japanese の, from Middle Chinese 能 — talent, ability.

兄弟 (Japanese): brothers; siblings; brothers and sisters;...

Definitions

  1. brothers; siblings; brothers and sisters;...

Ancestry of “兄弟”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese兄elder brother; elder brother-in-law; Short for...
2Old Japaneseあに—
3Japaneseのgenitive case marker; nominative case marker in a...
4Old Japaneseの—
5Middle Chinese能talent, ability

Words derived from “兄弟”

  • 兄弟姉妹
Every word from Middle Chinese 能 →