Where does “根魚” come from?

根魚 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 根, from Old Japanese 根.

根魚 (Japanese): a non-migratory fish that lives among the roots...

Definitions

  1. a non-migratory fish that lives among the roots...

Ancestry of “根魚”, step by step

根魚 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 根

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese根a root; the source; the root; nature; the...
2Old Japanese根—

via Japanese 魚

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese魚a fish; a fish, "especially" when used as food; a...
2Middle Chinese魚fish
Every word from Old Japanese 根 →Every word from Japanese 根 →
根魚 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer