Where does “爪の垢を煎じて飲む” come from?

爪の垢を煎じて飲む (Japanese) comes from Japanese 垢, from Japanese アカウント, from English account, from Middle English acounte, from Anglo-Norman acunte, from Old French aconte, from Old French aconter, from Old French conter — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

爪の垢を煎じて飲む (Japanese): to take a leaf out of someone's book; to follow in someone's footsteps

Definitions

  1. to take a leaf out of someone's book; to follow in someone's footsteps

Ancestry of “爪の垢を煎じて飲む”, step by step

爪の垢を煎じて飲む traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanesescum; dirt; account
2Japaneseアカウントaccount
3EnglishaccountA registry of pecuniary transactions; a written...
4Middle EnglishacounteAn enumeration or count; the act of counting
5Anglo-Normanacunteaccount; count; calculation; account; version of...
6Old Frenchaconte
7Old Frenchaconterto tell; to inform of; to do the accounts
8Old Frenchconterto tell; to say; to recount; to add up
9Latincomputōto calculate, compute, reckon together
10Latincom-allomorph of con-
11Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
12Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
13Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
14Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
15Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
16Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
17Middle Englishkyt
18Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
19Old High Germankuti
20Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
21Proto-Germanickweduzresin
22Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
23Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via Japanese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanesenail; claw

via Japanese 飲む

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese飲むto drink, to gulp, to swallow; to eat; to smoke...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz
爪の垢を煎じて飲む — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer