Where does “漢字” come from?
漢字 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 漢, from Middle Chinese 漢 — Han dynasty, China.
漢字 (Japanese): kanji
Definitions
- kanji
Ancestry of “漢字”, step by step
漢字 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 漢
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 漢 | man; element in compounds, referring to things... |
| 2 | Middle Chinese | 漢 | Han dynasty, China |
via Japanese 字
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 字 | letter, character; handwriting, penmanship; a... |
| 2 | Middle Chinese | 字 | letter, symbol, character; character |
via Middle Chinese 漢字
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Chinese | 漢字 | — |