Where does “脂肪族” come from?

脂肪族 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 脂肪, from Middle Chinese 脂肪.

脂肪族 (Japanese): aliphatic

Definitions

  1. aliphatic

Ancestry of “脂肪族”, step by step

脂肪族 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 脂肪

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese脂肪fat, grease
2Middle Chinese脂肪—

via Japanese 族

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese族a group; a tribe
2Middle Chinese族—
Every word from Middle Chinese 脂肪 →Every word from Japanese 脂肪 →
脂肪族 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer