Where does “過半数” come from?

過半数 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 数, from Middle Chinese 數, from Old Chinese 數.

過半数 (Japanese): a number exceeding more than half; a majority

Definitions

  1. a number exceeding more than half; a majority

Ancestry of “過半数”, step by step

過半数 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 数

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese数number; amount; number; several
2Middle Chinese數—
3Old Chinese數—

via Japanese 過半

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese過半greater half; more than half; majority
Every word from Old Chinese 數 →Every word from Middle Chinese 數 →Every word from Japanese 数 →