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?










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    up vote
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    2












    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?










    share|improve this question


























      up vote
      23
      down vote

      favorite
      2









      up vote
      23
      down vote

      favorite
      2






      2





      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?










      share|improve this question















      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






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      edited Nov 15 at 13:57









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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






          share|improve this answer



















          • 3




            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
            Nov 16 at 9:06












          • 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
            Nov 16 at 9:36










          • @ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
            – user4092
            Nov 16 at 13:35










          • @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
            Nov 16 at 15:58











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          up vote
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          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






          share|improve this answer



















          • 3




            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
            Nov 16 at 9:06












          • 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
            Nov 16 at 9:36










          • @ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
            – user4092
            Nov 16 at 13:35










          • @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
            Nov 16 at 15:58















          up vote
          24
          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






          share|improve this answer



















          • 3




            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
            Nov 16 at 9:06












          • 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
            Nov 16 at 9:36










          • @ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
            – user4092
            Nov 16 at 13:35










          • @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
            Nov 16 at 15:58













          up vote
          24
          down vote










          up vote
          24
          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






          share|improve this answer














          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







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Nov 16 at 1:52

























          answered Nov 15 at 16:04









          broccoli forest

          28.7k13595




          28.7k13595








          • 3




            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
            Nov 16 at 9:06












          • 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
            Nov 16 at 9:36










          • @ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
            – user4092
            Nov 16 at 13:35










          • @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
            Nov 16 at 15:58














          • 3




            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
            Nov 16 at 9:06












          • 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
            Nov 16 at 9:36










          • @ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
            – user4092
            Nov 16 at 13:35










          • @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
            Nov 16 at 15:58








          3




          3




          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
          Nov 16 at 9:06






          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
          Nov 16 at 9:06














          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
          Nov 16 at 9:36




          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
          Nov 16 at 9:36












          @ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
          – user4092
          Nov 16 at 13:35




          @ericfromabeno Incidentally, おとうと originally meant younger siblings regardless of gender and いもうと your lover.
          – user4092
          Nov 16 at 13:35












          @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
          Nov 16 at 15:58




          @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
          Nov 16 at 15:58


















           

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