Where does “능구렁이” come from?

능구렁이 (Korean) comes from Middle Chinese 능, from Chinese 能 — capable.

능구렁이 (Korean): red-banded snake (Lycodon rufozonatus)

Definitions

  1. red-banded snake (Lycodon rufozonatus)

Ancestry of “능구렁이”, step by step

능구렁이 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Chinese 능

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese능—
2Chinese能capable

via Korean 구렁이

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean구렁이A rat snake, particularly the Amur rat snake (Elaphe schrenckii), a large non-venomous snake formerly common in Korea
Every word from Chinese 能 →Every word from Middle Chinese 능 →