Where does “蟻” come from?
蟻 (Japanese) comes from Japanese の, from Old Japanese の, from Middle Chinese 能 — talent, ability.
蟻 (Japanese): ant; an ant, particularly one without wings; an...
Definitions
- ant; an ant, particularly one without wings; an...
Ancestry of “蟻”, step by step
蟻 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese の
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | の | genitive case marker; nominative case marker in a... |
| 2 | Old Japanese | の | plain, field |
| 3 | Middle Chinese | 能 | talent, ability |
via Japanese 子
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 子 | a child; a girl, especially a dear or desired... |
| 2 | Japanese | 鼠 | a mouse or a rat; general term for members of... |
| 3 | Japanese | nezumi | — |
via Middle Chinese 蟻
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Chinese | 蟻 | — |