Where does “李” come from?

李 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 酸, from Middle Chinese 酸.

李 (Japanese): plum

Definitions

  1. plum

Ancestry of “李”, step by step

李 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 酸

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese酸sourness; acid; Alternative spelling of 酢
2Middle Chinese酸—

via Japanese 桃

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese桃peach; peach tree

via Middle Chinese 李

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese李—
Every word from Middle Chinese 酸 →Every word from Japanese 酸 →