Where does “核酸” come from?

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

核酸 (Japanese): nucleic acid

Definitions

  1. nucleic acid

Ancestry of “核酸”, step by step

核酸 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 酸

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

via Japanese 核

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese核atomic nucleus; kernel; core, nucleus
Every word from Middle Chinese 酸 →Every word from Japanese 酸 →