Where does “水鹿” come from?

水鹿 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 水, from Old Japanese 水, from Proto-Japonic *mentu — water.

Ancestry of “水鹿”, step by step

水鹿 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 水

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese水water; drinking water; a fluid, liquid
2Old Japanese水water
3Proto-Japonic*mentuwater

via Japanese 鹿

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese鹿deer; deer meat: venison; a beast
2Middle Chinese鹿—
Every word from Proto-Japonic *mentu →Every word from Old Japanese 水 →Every word from Japanese 水 →