Where does “麻薬” come from?

麻薬 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 薬, from Middle Chinese 藥.

麻薬 (Japanese): opiate or opioid

Definitions

  1. opiate or opioid

Ancestry of “麻薬”, step by step

麻薬 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 薬

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese薬A medicine or drug; A substance with mystical...
2Middle Chinese藥—

via Japanese 麻

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese麻hemp; flax; linen
2Old Japanese麻hemp or ramie plant
Every word from Middle Chinese 藥 →Every word from Japanese 薬 →
麻薬 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer