Where does “源氏” come from?

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

源氏 (Japanese): any family or clan with a common surname of 源

Definitions

  1. any family or clan with a common surname of 源

Ancestry of “源氏”, step by step

源氏 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 源

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese源a fountainhead; a source, origin
2Japanese水water; drinking water; a fluid, liquid
3Old Japanese水water
4Proto-Japonic*mentuwater

via Japanese 氏

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese氏a family, a clan; a certain person; Mr.; Ms
2Middle Chineseし—

Words derived from “源氏”

Every word from Proto-Japonic *mentu →Every word from Old Japanese 水 →Every word from Japanese 水 →