Where does “南京虫” come from?

南京虫 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 南京, from Japanese 南, from Middle Chinese 南.

南京虫 (Japanese): bedbug

Definitions

  1. bedbug

Ancestry of “南京虫”, step by step

南京虫 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 南京

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese南京pumpkin, squash; a southern capital
2Japanese南the south; a southerly, south wind; to go south
3Middle Chinese南—

via Japanese 虫

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese虫a bug, insect, worm; a serpent, snake; a worm
Every word from Middle Chinese 南 →Every word from Japanese 南 →Every word from Japanese 南京 →