Where does “蛇の髭” come from?

蛇の髭 (Japanese) comes from Japanese の, from Old Japanese の, from Middle Chinese 能 — talent, ability.

蛇の髭 (Japanese): lilyturf, Ophiopogon japonicus

Definitions

  1. lilyturf, Ophiopogon japonicus

Ancestry of “蛇の髭”, step by step

蛇の髭 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese の

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japaneseのgenitive case marker; nominative case marker in a...
2Old Japaneseのplain, field
3Middle Chinese能talent, ability

via Japanese 蛇

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese蛇a snake, serpent
2Middle Chineseしゃ'—

via Japanese 髭

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese髭—
Every word from Middle Chinese 能 →Every word from Old Japanese の →Every word from Japanese の →