Where does “明” come from?

明 (Japanese) comes from Middle Chinese 明.

明 (Japanese): bright, brightening

Definitions

  1. bright, brightening

Ancestry of “明”, step by step

明 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Chinese 明

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese明—

via Chinese Mandarin 明

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese Mandarin明—

Words derived from “明”

Every word from Middle Chinese 明 →