Where does “子” come from?
子 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 鼠, from Japanese nezumi.
子 (Japanese): a child; a girl, especially a dear or desired...
Definitions
- a child; a girl, especially a dear or desired...
Ancestry of “子”, step by step
子 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 鼠
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 鼠 | a mouse or a rat; general term for members of... |
| 2 | Japanese | nezumi | — |
via Middle Chinese 子
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Chinese | 子 | — |
| 2 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | *tsəʔ | child, son, offspring; grandson; relatives; nephew/niece |
via Old Japanese 子
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Japanese | 子 | child |