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濫觴 (らんしょう, ranshou) Japanese meaning: source | Kotomora
じ 字 Furigana
Kanji 濫 excessive, overflow, spread out Related words 起き 源げん 起源 is the standard, everyday word for 'origin'. 濫觴 is a much rarer, literary synonym with a nuance of the very first tiny beginning.
源げん 流りゅう 源流 refers specifically to the source of a river or stream, while 濫觴 can be used metaphorically for any origin.
Etymology Borrowed from Chinese 濫觴, based on the image of a great river’s source being so shallow that it can float only a wine cup. The expression consequently came to mean the source or beginning of something.
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The source of this river is said to be a small spring deep in the mountains.
The origin of the tea ceremony dates back to the Kamakura period.