Where does “藪をつついて蛇を出す” come from?
藪をつついて蛇を出す (Japanese) comes from Japanese 蛇, from Middle Chinese しゃ'.
藪をつついて蛇を出す (Japanese): to stir up trouble for oneself, to stir up a hornets' nest
Definitions
- to stir up trouble for oneself, to stir up a hornets' nest
Ancestry of “藪をつついて蛇を出す”, step by step
藪をつついて蛇を出す traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 出す
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 出す | to take out, to get out; to put forth; to show or... |
| 2 | Old Japanese | いたす | — |
via Japanese 藪
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 藪 | a thicket, grove, copse |