Where does “手紙” come from?

手紙 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 手, from Middle Chinese 手.

手紙 (Japanese): a letter, an epistle; utility paper used for...

Definitions

  1. a letter, an epistle; utility paper used for...

Ancestry of “手紙”, step by step

手紙 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 手

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese手a hand; a handle, grip; a paw, foreleg
2Middle Chinese手—

via Japanese 紙

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese紙paper
2Middle Chinese紙—

Words derived from “手紙”

Every word from Middle Chinese 手 →Every word from Japanese 手 →