Where does “가위바위보” come from?

가위바위보 (Korean) comes from Korean 바위, from Middle Korean 바회〮, from Old Korean 岩乎 — rock; mountain crossing.

가위바위보 (Korean): rock paper scissors

Definitions

  1. rock paper scissors

Ancestry of “가위바위보”, step by step

가위바위보 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 바위

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean바위rock, boulder, crag
2Middle Korean바회〮
3Old Korean岩乎rock; mountain crossing

via Korean 가위

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean가위scissors

via Korean 보(褓)

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean보(褓)
Every word from Old Korean 岩乎Every word from Middle Korean 바회〮Every word from Korean 바위
가위바위보 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer