Etymology

rikishi

R1I1K5I1S1H4I1

Today it means: A sumo wrestler. Full definition →

Middle Chinese 力士 ← Old Chinese 力士
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The story

  1. Old Chinese · derived from力士“man of great strength”
  2. Middle Chinese · derived from力士
  3. English todayrikishi

From Japanese 力士(りきし) (rikishi), from Middle Chinese 力士 (lik-dʐí), from Old Chinese 力士 (*k.rək m-s-rəʔ, “man of great strength”), from 力 (*rɯɡ, “strength”) + 士 (*zrɯʔ, “man; soldier”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.