Where does “妹” come from?
妹 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 人, from Proto-Japonic *pitə — one.
妹 (Japanese): a close female companion; one's own younger...
Definitions
- a close female companion; one's own younger...
Ancestry of “妹”, step by step
妹 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 人
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 人 | a person, human; an individual; mankind, people |
| 2 | Proto-Japonic | *pitə | one |
via Middle Chinese 妹
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Chinese | 妹 | — |
via Old Japanese 妹
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Japanese | 妹 | "said from a male speaker"; "said from a female... |