Where does “모에” come from?

모에 (Korean) comes from Japanese 萌え, from Japanese 萌える, from Japanese 萌ゆ — to bud, sprout.

모에 (Korean): moe affection towards fictional characters from Japanese or similar media

Definitions

  1. moe affection towards fictional characters from Japanese or similar media

Ancestry of “모에”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese萌えbudding, sprouting; "moe": feelings of affection...
2Japanese萌えるto bud, sprout; to be aroused; to feel or...
3Japanese萌ゆto bud, sprout
Every word from Japanese 萌ゆ →Every word from Japanese 萌える →Every word from Japanese 萌え →
모에 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer