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 Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
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 Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
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 Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
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 Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
NoNames
1213
edited Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
NoNames
1213
edited Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
edited Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
edited Nov 15 at 13:57
Chocolate♦
44.3k455111
44.3k455111
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
NoNames
1213
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
NoNames
1213
asked Nov 15 at 11:26
NoNames
1213
1213
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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up vote
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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 Nov 15 at 16:04
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
Nov 15 at 17:07
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
2 days ago
@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
2 days ago
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 Nov 15 at 16:04
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
Nov 15 at 17:07
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
2 days ago
@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
2 days ago
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 Nov 15 at 16:04
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
Nov 15 at 17:07
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
2 days ago
@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
2 days ago
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 Nov 15 at 16:04
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 Nov 15 at 16:04
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
edited Nov 16 at 1:52
answered Nov 15 at 16:04
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
answered Nov 15 at 16:04
broccoli forest
28.6k13595
answered Nov 15 at 16:04
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
Nov 15 at 17:07
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
2 days ago
@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
2 days ago
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
Nov 15 at 17:07
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
2 days ago
@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
2 days ago
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
Nov 15 at 17:07
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
Nov 15 at 17:07
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
2 days ago
@ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
– user4092
2 days ago
@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
2 days ago
@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
2 days ago
add a comment |
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