山羊

Compound of 山 (shān, “mountain”) +‎ 羊 (yáng, “caprid: goat, antelope, sheep”).

The sense "buck; vaulting horse" is a calque of Russian козел (kozel).

山羊

1. goat (animal) (Classifier: 隻／只)
2. (Mainland China) buck; vaulting horse

• (goat): 羊 (yáng); (Jin) 骨纞兒／骨纞儿; (Hokkien) 羊管

Ultimate derivation unclear. Theories include:

• Shift from 野牛 (yagyū, “wild cattle”), from a vague resemblance between the two creatures.
• From Middle Chinese 羊 (MC yang) + い (i, possible epenthesis; see also development of 銭 (zeni) from older sen), with resultant /jiaŋi/ realizing in Japanese phonology as yagi.

Might only be attested in Japanese since 1523.^[1]

The kanji spellings, either 山 (“mountain”) + 羊 (“sheep”) or 野 (“field; wild”) + 羊 (“sheep”), are examples of jukujikun (熟字訓).

• (Tokyo) やぎ [yáꜜgì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [ja̠ɡʲi]

山羊(やぎ) or 山羊(ヤギ) • (yagi) 

1. [from 1523?] a goat (animal)
   • 2000 April 20, “深(ふか)き森(もり)の長老(ちょうろう) (fukaki mori no chōrō) [Elder of the Deep Woods]”, in Magic Ruler －魔法の支配者－, Konami:

     昔(むかし)から森(もり)に住(す)んでいる白(しろ)ヤギ。真(しん)の姿(すがた)は森(もり)の長(ちょう)老(ろう)。

     Mukashi kara mori ni sundeiru shiroyagi. Shin no sugata wa Mori no Chōrō.

     A white goat who has dwelt in the woods since ancient times. Its true visage is as an Elder of the Woods.

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ヤギ (yagi).

• 山羊座(やぎざ) (yagiza)
• 山羊麦(やぎむぎ) (yagimugi)

• Entry at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)

山羊 • (sanyang) (hangeul 산양)

1. hanja form^? of 산양 (“long-tailed goral”)

山羊

1. chữ Hán form of sơn dương (“serow”)