As in the title. I like these linguistic quirk it probably not that important in learning but probably the sole reason I remember this word at all is because of quirk like this.
I’ve dug a little more online for both languages, but couldn’t find anything pointing to one language or the other being the origin of the expressions. Probably just an anthropological/linguistical coincidence.
I’ve also found it amazing that 伝説 legend, and 伝説な legendary (describing something or someone awesome and unrivaled) works idiomatically the same exact way in both English and Japanese
The loanword is from Chinese and I speak Chinese, and it does NOT work that way in Chinese. 伝説 in Chinese only means ancient legend, you can’t turn it into a superlative adjective like that.
2 comments
Doesn’t seem to be related.
[English etymology ](https://idiomorigins.org/origin/small-fry)
[Japanese Kotobank](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%9B%91%E9%AD%9A-510027)
I’ve dug a little more online for both languages, but couldn’t find anything pointing to one language or the other being the origin of the expressions. Probably just an anthropological/linguistical coincidence.
I’ve also found it amazing that
伝説 legend, and
伝説な legendary (describing something or someone awesome and unrivaled) works idiomatically the same exact way in both English and Japanese
The loanword is from Chinese and I speak Chinese, and it does NOT work that way in Chinese. 伝説 in Chinese only means ancient legend, you can’t turn it into a superlative adjective like that.