Where does “山猫” come from?

山猫 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 山, from Japanese 陰, from Middle Chinese 陰.

山猫 (Japanese): a wildcat (Felis silvestris)

Definitions

  1. a wildcat (Felis silvestris)

Ancestry of “山猫”, step by step

山猫 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 山

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese山a mountain or hill; a mine; a heap, pile
2Japanese陰shadow, shade; hidden side; yin
3Middle Chinese陰—

via Japanese 猫

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese猫a cat
2Old Japaneseねこ—

Words derived from “山猫”

Every word from Middle Chinese 陰 →Every word from Japanese 陰 →Every word from Japanese 山 →
山猫 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer