Where does “四人” come from?

四人 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 四, from Middle Chinese 四, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *pV-lij — four.

四人 (Japanese): four people

Definitions

  1. four people

Ancestry of “四人”, step by step

四人 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 四

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese四four, 4; the fourth
2Middle Chinese四—
3Proto-Sino-Tibetan*pV-lijfour

via Japanese 人

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese人a person, human; an individual; mankind, people
2Proto-Japonic*pitəone
Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *pV-lij →Every word from Middle Chinese 四 →Every word from Japanese 四 →
四人 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer