Etymology Explorer › Japanese

Where does “南蛮” come from?

南蛮 (Japanese) comes from Middle Chinese 南蠻 — southern barbarian.

南蛮 (Japanese): a foreigner from Portugal or Spain; more broadly,...

Definitions

  1. a foreigner from Portugal or Spain; more broadly,...

Ancestry of “南蛮”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese南蠻southern barbarian

Words derived from “南蛮”

  • 南蛮人
Every word from Middle Chinese 南蠻 →