Where does “四字熟語” come from?
四字熟語 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 四, from Middle Chinese 四, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *pV-lij — four.
四字熟語 (Japanese): a four-kanji set phrase
Definitions
- a four-kanji set phrase
Ancestry of “四字熟語”, step by step
四字熟語 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 四
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 四 | four, 4; the fourth |
| 2 | Middle Chinese | 四 | — |
| 3 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | *pV-lij | four |
via Japanese 字
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 字 | letter, character; handwriting, penmanship; a... |
| 2 | Middle Chinese | 字 | letter, symbol, character; character |
via Japanese 熟語
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 熟語 | idiom; an idiom made by combining two or more... |