Japanese symbol for “etymology”
語源
ごげん
Romaji: gogen
origin of a word; derivation of a word; etymology
In Japanese, etymology is 語源, read ごげん (gogen).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n origin of a word; derivation of a word; etymology
Written forms: 語源、語原. Readings: ごげん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “etymology”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 語源学 | ごげんがく gogengaku | (study of) etymology |
| 語源説 | ごげんせつ gogensetsu | etymological theory; etymology |
| エティモロジー | エティモロジー etimorojii | etymology |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 英語 | えいご eigo | English (language) |
| 物語 | ものがたり monogatari | story; tale; narrative |
| 言語 | げんご gengo | language |
| 語る | かたる kataru | to talk about; to speak of; to tell |
| 日本語 | にほんご nihongo | Japanese (language) |
| 用語 | ようご yougo | term; terminology |
| 資源 | しげん shigen | resources |
| 電源 | でんげん dengen | source of electricity; electrical power |
See also: Chinese symbol for “etymology”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.