Etymology Explorer › Japanese

Where does “塔” come from?

塔 (Japanese) comes from Middle Chinese とう, from Middle Chinese 刀 — knife.

塔 (Japanese): a tower; a pagoda, a stupa; a steeple, spire

Definitions

  1. a tower; a pagoda, a stupa; a steeple, spire

Ancestry of “塔”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chineseとう—
2Middle Chinese刀knife

Words derived from “塔”

  • 五輪塔
Every word from Middle Chinese 刀 →