Where does “地鼠” come from?

地鼠 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 地, from Middle Chinese 地.

地鼠 (Japanese): a Dsinezumi shrew (Crocidura dsinezumi)

Definitions

  1. a Dsinezumi shrew (Crocidura dsinezumi)

Ancestry of “地鼠”, step by step

地鼠 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 地

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese地earth, dirt; fabric, cloth; territory
2Middle Chinese地—

via Japanese 鼠

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese鼠a mouse or a rat; general term for members of...
2Japanesenezumi—
Every word from Middle Chinese 地 →Every word from Japanese 地 →
地鼠 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer