Where does “蟹行文字” come from?

蟹行文字 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 文字, from Middle Chinese 文字.

蟹行文字 (Japanese): character set written horizontally, especially Roman alphabet

Definitions

  1. character set written horizontally, especially Roman alphabet

Ancestry of “蟹行文字”, step by step

蟹行文字 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 文字

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese文字a letter, a character; script, writing system; a...
2Middle Chinese文字—

via Japanese 蟹行

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese蟹行walking sideways in the manner of a crab, crabwalk
Every word from Middle Chinese 文字 →Every word from Japanese 文字 →