Where does “철새” come from?

철새 (Korean) comes from Korean 새, from Korean 사이 — gap; space between.

철새 (Korean): migratory bird, bird of passage

Definitions

  1. migratory bird, bird of passage

Ancestry of “철새”, step by step

철새 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Koreanbird; new; Alternative form of 사이
2Korean사이gap; space between

via Korean

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Koreanseason; maturity; good sense; iron, ferrum
Every word from Korean 사이Every word from Korean