Where does “東” come from?

東 (Japanese) comes from Old Japanese 東, from Old Japanese 天, from Proto-Japonic *amay.

東 (Japanese): the east; the Orient; an easterly

Definitions

  1. the east; the Orient; an easterly

Ancestry of “東”, step by step

東 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Japanese 東

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Japanese東the east; the lands east of the 都
2Old Japanese天sky, heavens
3Proto-Japonic*amay—

via Middle Chinese 東

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese東east

Words derived from “東”

Every word from Proto-Japonic *amay →Every word from Old Japanese 天 →Every word from Old Japanese 東 →