源みなもと

起き源げんN1sense 2
起源 is a formal, academic term for historical or biological origins, while 源 can be used in both literal and everyday figurative contexts.
根こん源げん sense 2
根源 stresses the deepest, underlying root cause of a problem, while 源 is a broader word for any origin or starting point.
原げん因いんN4sense 2
原因 means 'cause' and focuses on direct causality, whereas 源 emphasizes the deeper or original source.
出でどころ sense 2
出所 usually refers to where information, rumors, or funds come from, while 源 is used more broadly for the origin of things, feelings, or rivers.

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水すい源げんN1
源 is a broader, more literary word for the origin of a river or anything else, while 水源 specifically names the spot where water begins to flow.
供きょう給きゅう源げんN1
源 is a general word for 'source' or 'origin' in any context, while 供給源 is used specifically for the source of a supply of goods, energy, or information.
源げん泉せん
源 is the common, everyday word for 'source' or 'origin', while 源泉 is more formal and often used in technical, business, or natural-spring contexts.
発はっ生せい源げんN1
源 is a broad, often metaphorical term for 'source' or 'origin', whereas 発生源 is a technical term for the concrete point where something like a pollutant or sound originates.
ルーツ
源 is a native Japanese word for the source of something, often used poetically or literally (e.g. a river's source), whereas ルーツ is a loanword focused on cultural or personal ancestry.
原げん点てんN1
源 is a poetic or literal 'source' (like a river's source), while 原点 is a more analytical, abstract starting point.

Don't confuse with

元もとN2
元 is a common, everyday word for 'origin/basis' (e.g. 元をとる), while 源 is a more literary word specifically for the deep source or fountainhead of something.

Word family

河かわの源みなもと
fountainhead; source of a river

Written forms

源みなもとUsage98%
Standard kanji spelling for both literal and figurative senses.
みなもとUsage2%

Etymology

The kanji 源 combines 氵 (water) and 原 (origin), suggesting 'water's origin'. The reading みなもと is a native Japanese word, likely from 水 (mi, 'water') + な (possessive particle) + 元 (moto, 'origin').