Where does “第四紀” come from?

第四紀 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 紀, from Middle Chinese 紀.

第四紀 (Japanese): the Quaternary period

Definitions

  1. the Quaternary period

Ancestry of “第四紀”, step by step

第四紀 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 紀

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese紀chronicle, written record
2Middle Chinese紀—

via Japanese 第四

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese第四fourth (4th), number four
Every word from Middle Chinese 紀 →Every word from Japanese 紀 →