Where does “女形” come from?

女形 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 女, from Middle Chinese 女.

女形 (Japanese): male actor who plays female roles in kabuki...

Definitions

  1. male actor who plays female roles in kabuki...

Ancestry of “女形”, step by step

女形 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 女

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese女a woman; a wife; a mistress, concubine
2Middle Chinese女—

via Japanese 形

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese形a shape; a form; a pattern, die, or model from...
2Middle Chinese形—

Words derived from “女形”

Every word from Middle Chinese 女 →Every word from Japanese 女 →
女形 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer