Where does “影武者” come from?

影武者 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 影, from Middle Chinese 影.

影武者 (Japanese): a body double

Definitions

  1. a body double

Ancestry of “影武者”, step by step

影武者 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 影

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese影light; a shape or form reflected in light; a...
2Middle Chinese影—

via Japanese 武者

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese武者warrior
Every word from Middle Chinese 影 →Every word from Japanese 影 →