The etymology of 助っ人
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Recently I came across the word 助っ人, surprised to find out its reading was "すけっと".
Does its etymology have something to do with 助ける【たすける】 and 人【ひと】? If so, why the disappearance of た, ひ, and the addition of 促音?
etymology
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
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NoNames
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add a comment |
up vote
20
down vote
favorite
Recently I came across the word 助っ人, surprised to find out its reading was "すけっと".
Does its etymology have something to do with 助ける【たすける】 and 人【ひと】? If so, why the disappearance of た, ひ, and the addition of 促音?
etymology
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked 2 days ago
NoNames
1213
add a comment |
up vote
20
down vote
favorite
up vote
20
down vote
favorite
Recently I came across the word 助っ人, surprised to find out its reading was "すけっと".
Does its etymology have something to do with 助ける【たすける】 and 人【ひと】? If so, why the disappearance of た, ひ, and the addition of 促音?
etymology
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked 2 days ago
NoNames
1213
Recently I came across the word 助っ人, surprised to find out its reading was "すけっと".
Does its etymology have something to do with 助ける【たすける】 and 人【ひと】? If so, why the disappearance of た, ひ, and the addition of 促音?
etymology
etymology
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked 2 days ago
NoNames
1213
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked 2 days ago
NoNames
1213
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
edited 2 days ago
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
44.3k455111
asked 2 days ago
NoNames
1213
asked 2 days ago
NoNames
1213
asked 2 days ago
NoNames
1213
1213
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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Yes, it is 助【すけ】 + 人【ひと】.
助【すけ】 is an obsolete word that means "help; assistance". The currently used verb 助ける is composed of た "hand" + すく "assist".
Noun + 人 was a very productive way to coin a word that roughly means "-er" or "who is —" throughout older times in Japanese. Many of those words are still surviving in contracted form today, mostly ending in -うと or -うど, but very few of them have -っと rendering.
- 助っ人 < 助 + 人
- 夫【おっと】 "husband" < 男【を】 + 人 "who is (my) man"
- 盗人【ぬすっと】 (pre-modern) "thief" < 盗【ぬす】み "steal" + 人
Compare:
- 弟【おとうと】 "younger brother" < 乙【おと】 "junior" + 人
- 妹【いもうと】 "younger sister" < 妹【いも】 "intimate woman" + 人
- 素人【しろうと】 "amateur" < 白【しろ】 "white" + 人
- 仲人【なこうど】 "matchmaker" < 中【なか】 "middle" + 人
- 狩人【かりうど】 "hunter" < 狩【か】り "hunt" + 人
- 若人【わこうど】 (poetic) "the youth" < 若【わか】 "young" + 人
- 商人【あきんど】 (old-fashioned) "trader" < 商【あき】 "trade" + 人
PS
Further reading: 人：difference between ひと and -うと
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
2
knew about some of these, but learned some new things! I had never made the mental connection between the うと of 弟 or 妹 and the kanji 人 before. Cool.
– ericfromabeno
2 days ago
1
It's worth noting that, while 助「すけ」 seems to be obsolete in modern vocabulary, it is still present in some names. For example, my name ends in 之助「のすけ」.
– James
yesterday
So am I correct in thinking that the たす reading of 助 is somehow formed by adding た to the front of the verb すける? Is た a productive morpheme I do not yet know?
– Wilson
yesterday
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
yesterday
@Wilson It's actually the same word with 手 in very old compounds. Look into Old Japanese phonology if you're interested japanese.stackexchange.com/q/9331/7810
– broccoli forest
yesterday
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
21
down vote
Yes, it is 助【すけ】 + 人【ひと】.
助【すけ】 is an obsolete word that means "help; assistance". The currently used verb 助ける is composed of た "hand" + すく "assist".
Noun + 人 was a very productive way to coin a word that roughly means "-er" or "who is —" throughout older times in Japanese. Many of those words are still surviving in contracted form today, mostly ending in -うと or -うど, but very few of them have -っと rendering.
- 助っ人 < 助 + 人
- 夫【おっと】 "husband" < 男【を】 + 人 "who is (my) man"
- 盗人【ぬすっと】 (pre-modern) "thief" < 盗【ぬす】み "steal" + 人
Compare:
- 弟【おとうと】 "younger brother" < 乙【おと】 "junior" + 人
- 妹【いもうと】 "younger sister" < 妹【いも】 "intimate woman" + 人
- 素人【しろうと】 "amateur" < 白【しろ】 "white" + 人
- 仲人【なこうど】 "matchmaker" < 中【なか】 "middle" + 人
- 狩人【かりうど】 "hunter" < 狩【か】り "hunt" + 人
- 若人【わこうど】 (poetic) "the youth" < 若【わか】 "young" + 人
- 商人【あきんど】 (old-fashioned) "trader" < 商【あき】 "trade" + 人
PS
Further reading: 人：difference between ひと and -うと
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
2
knew about some of these, but learned some new things! I had never made the mental connection between the うと of 弟 or 妹 and the kanji 人 before. Cool.
– ericfromabeno
2 days ago
1
It's worth noting that, while 助「すけ」 seems to be obsolete in modern vocabulary, it is still present in some names. For example, my name ends in 之助「のすけ」.
– James
yesterday
So am I correct in thinking that the たす reading of 助 is somehow formed by adding た to the front of the verb すける? Is た a productive morpheme I do not yet know?
– Wilson
yesterday
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
yesterday
@Wilson It's actually the same word with 手 in very old compounds. Look into Old Japanese phonology if you're interested japanese.stackexchange.com/q/9331/7810
– broccoli forest
yesterday
add a comment |
up vote
21
down vote
Yes, it is 助【すけ】 + 人【ひと】.
助【すけ】 is an obsolete word that means "help; assistance". The currently used verb 助ける is composed of た "hand" + すく "assist".
Noun + 人 was a very productive way to coin a word that roughly means "-er" or "who is —" throughout older times in Japanese. Many of those words are still surviving in contracted form today, mostly ending in -うと or -うど, but very few of them have -っと rendering.
- 助っ人 < 助 + 人
- 夫【おっと】 "husband" < 男【を】 + 人 "who is (my) man"
- 盗人【ぬすっと】 (pre-modern) "thief" < 盗【ぬす】み "steal" + 人
Compare:
- 弟【おとうと】 "younger brother" < 乙【おと】 "junior" + 人
- 妹【いもうと】 "younger sister" < 妹【いも】 "intimate woman" + 人
- 素人【しろうと】 "amateur" < 白【しろ】 "white" + 人
- 仲人【なこうど】 "matchmaker" < 中【なか】 "middle" + 人
- 狩人【かりうど】 "hunter" < 狩【か】り "hunt" + 人
- 若人【わこうど】 (poetic) "the youth" < 若【わか】 "young" + 人
- 商人【あきんど】 (old-fashioned) "trader" < 商【あき】 "trade" + 人
PS
Further reading: 人：difference between ひと and -うと
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
2
knew about some of these, but learned some new things! I had never made the mental connection between the うと of 弟 or 妹 and the kanji 人 before. Cool.
– ericfromabeno
2 days ago
1
It's worth noting that, while 助「すけ」 seems to be obsolete in modern vocabulary, it is still present in some names. For example, my name ends in 之助「のすけ」.
– James
yesterday
So am I correct in thinking that the たす reading of 助 is somehow formed by adding た to the front of the verb すける? Is た a productive morpheme I do not yet know?
– Wilson
yesterday
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
yesterday
@Wilson It's actually the same word with 手 in very old compounds. Look into Old Japanese phonology if you're interested japanese.stackexchange.com/q/9331/7810
– broccoli forest
yesterday
add a comment |
up vote
21
down vote
up vote
21
down vote
Yes, it is 助【すけ】 + 人【ひと】.
助【すけ】 is an obsolete word that means "help; assistance". The currently used verb 助ける is composed of た "hand" + すく "assist".
Noun + 人 was a very productive way to coin a word that roughly means "-er" or "who is —" throughout older times in Japanese. Many of those words are still surviving in contracted form today, mostly ending in -うと or -うど, but very few of them have -っと rendering.
- 助っ人 < 助 + 人
- 夫【おっと】 "husband" < 男【を】 + 人 "who is (my) man"
- 盗人【ぬすっと】 (pre-modern) "thief" < 盗【ぬす】み "steal" + 人
Compare:
- 弟【おとうと】 "younger brother" < 乙【おと】 "junior" + 人
- 妹【いもうと】 "younger sister" < 妹【いも】 "intimate woman" + 人
- 素人【しろうと】 "amateur" < 白【しろ】 "white" + 人
- 仲人【なこうど】 "matchmaker" < 中【なか】 "middle" + 人
- 狩人【かりうど】 "hunter" < 狩【か】り "hunt" + 人
- 若人【わこうど】 (poetic) "the youth" < 若【わか】 "young" + 人
- 商人【あきんど】 (old-fashioned) "trader" < 商【あき】 "trade" + 人
PS
Further reading: 人：difference between ひと and -うと
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
Yes, it is 助【すけ】 + 人【ひと】.
助【すけ】 is an obsolete word that means "help; assistance". The currently used verb 助ける is composed of た "hand" + すく "assist".
Noun + 人 was a very productive way to coin a word that roughly means "-er" or "who is —" throughout older times in Japanese. Many of those words are still surviving in contracted form today, mostly ending in -うと or -うど, but very few of them have -っと rendering.
- 助っ人 < 助 + 人
- 夫【おっと】 "husband" < 男【を】 + 人 "who is (my) man"
- 盗人【ぬすっと】 (pre-modern) "thief" < 盗【ぬす】み "steal" + 人
Compare:
- 弟【おとうと】 "younger brother" < 乙【おと】 "junior" + 人
- 妹【いもうと】 "younger sister" < 妹【いも】 "intimate woman" + 人
- 素人【しろうと】 "amateur" < 白【しろ】 "white" + 人
- 仲人【なこうど】 "matchmaker" < 中【なか】 "middle" + 人
- 狩人【かりうど】 "hunter" < 狩【か】り "hunt" + 人
- 若人【わこうど】 (poetic) "the youth" < 若【わか】 "young" + 人
- 商人【あきんど】 (old-fashioned) "trader" < 商【あき】 "trade" + 人
PS
Further reading: 人：difference between ひと and -うと
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
edited yesterday
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
answered 2 days ago
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
28.6k13595
2
knew about some of these, but learned some new things! I had never made the mental connection between the うと of 弟 or 妹 and the kanji 人 before. Cool.
– ericfromabeno
2 days ago
1
It's worth noting that, while 助「すけ」 seems to be obsolete in modern vocabulary, it is still present in some names. For example, my name ends in 之助「のすけ」.
– James
yesterday
So am I correct in thinking that the たす reading of 助 is somehow formed by adding た to the front of the verb すける? Is た a productive morpheme I do not yet know?
– Wilson
yesterday
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
yesterday
@Wilson It's actually the same word with 手 in very old compounds. Look into Old Japanese phonology if you're interested japanese.stackexchange.com/q/9331/7810
– broccoli forest
yesterday
add a comment |
2
knew about some of these, but learned some new things! I had never made the mental connection between the うと of 弟 or 妹 and the kanji 人 before. Cool.
– ericfromabeno
2 days ago
1
It's worth noting that, while 助「すけ」 seems to be obsolete in modern vocabulary, it is still present in some names. For example, my name ends in 之助「のすけ」.
– James
yesterday
So am I correct in thinking that the たす reading of 助 is somehow formed by adding た to the front of the verb すける? Is た a productive morpheme I do not yet know?
– Wilson
yesterday
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
yesterday
@Wilson It's actually the same word with 手 in very old compounds. Look into Old Japanese phonology if you're interested japanese.stackexchange.com/q/9331/7810
– broccoli forest
yesterday
2
2
knew about some of these, but learned some new things! I had never made the mental connection between the うと of 弟 or 妹 and the kanji 人 before. Cool.
– ericfromabeno
2 days ago
knew about some of these, but learned some new things! I had never made the mental connection between the うと of 弟 or 妹 and the kanji 人 before. Cool.
– ericfromabeno
2 days ago
1
1
It's worth noting that, while 助「すけ」 seems to be obsolete in modern vocabulary, it is still present in some names. For example, my name ends in 之助「のすけ」.
– James
yesterday
It's worth noting that, while 助「すけ」 seems to be obsolete in modern vocabulary, it is still present in some names. For example, my name ends in 之助「のすけ」.
– James
yesterday
So am I correct in thinking that the たす reading of 助 is somehow formed by adding た to the front of the verb すける? Is た a productive morpheme I do not yet know?
– Wilson
yesterday
So am I correct in thinking that the たす reading of 助 is somehow formed by adding た to the front of the verb すける? Is た a productive morpheme I do not yet know?
– Wilson
yesterday
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
yesterday
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
yesterday
@Wilson It's actually the same word with 手 in very old compounds. Look into Old Japanese phonology if you're interested japanese.stackexchange.com/q/9331/7810
– broccoli forest
yesterday
@Wilson It's actually the same word with 手 in very old compounds. Look into Old Japanese phonology if you're interested japanese.stackexchange.com/q/9331/7810
– broccoli forest
yesterday
add a comment |
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