Where does “愛” come from?

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

愛 (Japanese): love; affection; tenderness

Definitions

  1. love; affection; tenderness

Ancestry of “愛”, step by step

愛 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Japanese な

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

via Japanese 真

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese真truth, reality; truth, reality, genuineness;...
2Chinese似—

via Middle Chinese 愛

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese愛—

Words derived from “愛”

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