Where does “変数” come from?

変数 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 数, from Middle Chinese 數, from Old Chinese 數.

変数 (Japanese): variable

Definitions

  1. variable

Ancestry of “変数”, step by step

変数 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 数

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese数number; amount; number; several
2Middle Chinese數—
3Old Chinese數—

via Japanese 変

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese変a change
2Middle Chinese變—
Every word from Old Chinese 數 →Every word from Middle Chinese 數 →Every word from Japanese 数 →