Where does “少年愛” come from?

少年愛 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 愛, from Old Japanese な, from Old Japanese の, from Middle Chinese 能 — talent, ability.

少年愛 (Japanese): pederasty, love toward boys

Definitions

  1. pederasty, love toward boys

Ancestry of “少年愛”, step by step

少年愛 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 愛

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese愛love; affection; tenderness
2Old Japaneseなany sharp and thin cutting implement: a blade,...
3Old Japaneseのplain, field
4Middle Chinese能talent, ability

via Japanese 少年

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese少年a boy, a young man
2Middle Chinese少年teenaged boy

Words derived from “少年愛”

Every word from Middle Chinese 能 →Every word from Old Japanese の →Every word from Old Japanese な →