Wiktionary

兄

See also: 只
兄 U+5144, 兄
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5144
← 元
[U+5143] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 充 →
[U+5145]

Translingual edit

Stroke order
 

Han character edit

兄 (Kangxi radical 10, 儿+3, 5 strokes, cangjie input 口竹山 (RHU), four-corner 60210, composition ⿱口儿)

Derived characters edit

References edit

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 123, character 9
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1343
  • Dae Jaweon: page 259, character 3
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 266, character 4
  • Unihan data for U+5144

Chinese edit

simp. and trad.
 兄
alternative forms 㑆
𬆁

Glyph origin edit

Historical forms of the character 兄
Shang Western Zhou Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Chu slip and silk script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
         
Oracle bone script
 

j20630

 

j20631

 

j20632

 

j20633

 

j20634

 

j20635

 

j20636

 

j20637

 

j20638

 

j20639

 

j20640

 

j20641

 

j20642

 

j20643

 

j20644

 

j20645

 

j20646

 

j20647

 

j20648

 

j20649

 

j20650

 

j20651

 

j20652

 

j20653

 

j20654

 

j20655

 

j20656

 

j20657

 

j20658

 

j20659

 

j20660

 

j20661

 

j20662

 

j20663

 

j20664

 

j20665

 

j20666

 

j20667

 

j20668

 

j20669

 

j20670

 

j20671

 

j20672

 

j20673

 

j20674

 

j20675

 

j20676

 

j20677

 

j20678

 

j20679

 

j20680

 

j20681

 

j20682

 

j20683

 

j20684

 

j20685

 

j20686

 

j20687

 

j20688

 

j20689

 

j20690

 

j20691

 

j20692

 

j20693

 

j20694

 

j20695

 

j20696

 

j20697

 

j20698

 

j20699

 

j20700

 

j20701

 

j20702

 

j20703

 

j20704

 

j20705

 

j20706

 

j20707

 

j20708

 

j20709

 

j20710

 

j20711

 

j20712

 

j20713

 

j20714

 

j20715

 

j20716

 

j20717

 

j20718

 

j20719

 

j20720

 

j20721

 

j20722

 

j20723

 

j20724

 

j20725

 

j20726

 

j20727

 

j20728

 

j20729

 

j20730

 

j20731

 

j20732

 

j20733

 

j20734

 

j20735

 

j20736

 

j20737

 

j20738

 

j20739

 

j20740

 

j20741

 

j20742

 

j20743

 

j20744

Bronze inscriptions
 

b13475

 

b13476

 

b13477

 

b13478

 

b13479

 

b13480

 

b13481

 

b13482

 

b13483

 

b13484

 

b13485

 

b13486

 

b13487

 

b13488

 

b13489

 

b13490

 

b13491

 

b13492

 

b13493

 

b13494

 

b13495

 

b13496

 

b13497

 

b13498

 

b13499

 

b13500

 

b13501

 

b13502

 

b13504

Small seal script
 

s06205

Transcribed ancient scripts
 

L33193

 

L33194

 

L10751

 

L10752

 

L10753

 

L10754

 

L10755

 

L10756

 

L10757

 

L10758

 

L10759

References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

  • Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
  • Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
  • Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
  • Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (兄) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
怳 *hmaŋʔ
況 *hmaŋs
貺 *hmaŋs
况 *hmaŋs
兄 *hmraŋ

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 口 + 儿.

Etymology edit

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *maŋ (“big; old; elder (brother, uncle)”) (Sagart, 1999; STEDT). Related to 孟 (OC *mraːŋs, “great; eldest brother; first”); see there for more.

Schuessler (2007), instead, connects it to Proto-Lolo-Burmese *ʔwyik (“elder sibling”), which is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ʔik (“elder brother”).

Alternatively, Benedict (1972) relates it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bʷaŋ ~ *pʷaŋ (“(paternal) uncle; elder brother”), which is possibly also related to 伯 (OC *praːɡ, “paternal uncle; eldest brother”).

Pronunciation edit

Note:
  • hiaⁿ - vernacular;
  • heng - literary.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 兄
Mandarin Beijing /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Harbin /ɕioŋ⁴⁴/
Tianjin /ɕioŋ²¹/
Jinan /ɕioŋ²¹³/
Qingdao /ɕiŋ²¹³/
Zhengzhou /ɕyoŋ²⁴/
Xi'an /ɕioŋ²¹/
Xining /ɕyə̃⁴⁴/
Yinchuan /ɕyoŋ⁴⁴/
Lanzhou /xỹn³¹/
Ürümqi /ɕioŋ⁴⁴/
Wuhan /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Chengdu /ɕyoŋ⁵⁵/
Guiyang /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Kunming /ɕioŋ⁴⁴/
Nanjing /ɕioŋ³¹/
Hefei /xiŋ²¹/
Jin Taiyuan /ɕyəŋ¹¹/
Pingyao /ɕioŋ¹³/
/ɕy¹³/ ～弟
Hohhot /ɕỹŋ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /ɕioŋ⁵³/
Suzhou /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /ɕioŋ³³/
Wenzhou /ɕoŋ³³/
Hui Shexian /ɕyʌ̃³¹/
Tunxi /ɕyɛ¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /ɕioŋ³³/
Xiangtan /ɕin³³/
Gan Nanchang /ɕiɑŋ⁴²/
/ɕiuŋ⁴²/ 弟～
Hakka Meixian /hiuŋ⁴⁴/
Taoyuan /hioŋ²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /heŋ⁵³/
Nanning /heŋ⁵⁵/
Hong Kong /hiŋ⁵⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /hiŋ⁵/
/hia⁵⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /hiŋ⁴⁴/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /xœyŋ⁵⁴/
/xiaŋ⁵⁴/
Shantou (Teochew) /hiã³³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /hia²³/
/hia⁵⁵/ ～兄
Rime
Character 兄
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 曉 (32)
Final (韻) 庚 (112)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 許榮切
Baxter xjwaeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/hˠwiæŋ/
Pan
Wuyun 		/hʷᵚiaŋ/
Shao
Rongfen 		/xiuaŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/hwiajŋ/
Li
Rong 		/xiuɐŋ/
Wang
Li 		/xĭwɐŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/xi̯wɐŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		xiōng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		hing1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 兄
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		xiōng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ xjwæng ›
Old
Chinese 		/*m̥raŋ/
English elder brother

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 兄
Reading # 1/1
No. 13905
Phonetic
component 		兄
Rime
group 		陽
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		兄
Old
Chinese 		/*hmraŋ/
Notes 甲金文象張口呵喝之人，
金文有往聲者。疑初與孟同源

Definitions edit

兄

  1. elder brother
  2. elder male cousin
    堂兄  ―  tángxiōng  ―  father’s brother’s son older than oneself
  3. brother (male friend of the same generation)
  4. (Hokkien, familiar) respectful honorific used after a name for an elder brother or any male senior: Mister; Brother

Synonyms edit

  • (elder brother):
Dialectal synonyms of 哥哥 (“elder brother”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 兄
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 哥哥, 兄長
Mandarin Beijing 哥哥, 哥
Taiwan 哥哥, 哥
Harbin 哥哥
Shenyang 哥哥
Yantai (Muping) 哥
Jinan 哥哥
Luoyang 哥
Wanrong 哥
Xi'an 哥
Yinchuan 哥哥
Xining 阿哥
Ürümqi 哥哥, 哥, 阿哥 Hui, ><
Wuhan 哥哥
Chengdu 哥哥, 哥, 哥老倌兒, 哥老倌
Guiyang 哥哥, 哥
Kunming 哥哥
Liuzhou 哥
Xuzhou 哥哥
Yangzhou 哥哥, 哥
Nanjing 哥哥
Hefei 哥哥
Malaysia 哥哥
Singapore 哥哥
Cantonese Guangzhou 大佬, 阿哥, 哥哥 ><
Hong Kong 大佬, 阿哥, 哥哥
Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) 哥哥 ><, 大佬 <>, 阿哥 <>
Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou) 哥哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 阿哥
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 哥哥 ><, 阿哥 <>
Macau 阿哥 ><, 大佬
Guangzhou (Panyu) 阿哥 ><, 大哥, 大佬 <>
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Guangzhou (Conghua) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 阿哥
Foshan (Shunde) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan (Sanshui) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhuhai (Qianshan) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhuhai (Doumen) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Jiangmen (Baisha) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Taishan 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>, 哥
Kaiping (Chikan) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Enping (Niujiang) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Heshan (Yayao) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Dongguan 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Yangjiang 大佬, 阿哥
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Singapore (Guangfu) 大佬, 哥哥
Gan Nanchang 哥哥 ><, 兄 <>
Lichuan 哥 ><, 兄 <>
Hakka Meixian 阿哥
Xingning 阿哥
Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua) 阿哥
Huiyang 阿哥
Huidong (Daling) 阿哥
Dongguan (Qingxi) 阿哥
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 阿哥
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 阿哥
Wuhua (Shuizhai) 阿哥
Wuhua (Huacheng) 阿哥
Wuhua (Changbu) 阿哥
Wuhua (Mianyang) 阿哥
Wuhua (Meilin) 阿哥
Heyuan (Bendihua) 阿哥
Wengyuan 阿哥
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 哥哥
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 阿哥
Liannan 阿哥
Conghua (Lütian) 阿哥
Jiexi 阿哥, 哥
Luhe 阿哥
Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan) 阿哥
Changting 老伯
Wuping 老伯
Wuping (Yanqian) 老伯哩
Wuping (Pingyu) 哥
Liancheng 老伯
Ninghua 老伯
Yudu 哥哥, 老伯
Ningdu 哥哥
Ruijin 哥哥, 老兄
Shicheng 老伯
Shangyou (Shexi) 老伯
Tonggu (Sandu) 哥哥
Ganzhou (Panlong) 老伯
Dayu 哥哥
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 阿哥
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 阿哥
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 阿哥
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 阿哥
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 阿哥
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 阿哥
Hong Kong 阿哥
Yangxi (Tangkou) 阿哥
Yangchun (Sanjia) 阿哥
Xinyi (Sihe) 大佬
Xinyi (Qianpai) 阿哥, 大佬
Gaozhou (Xindong) 阿哥
Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai) 阿哥
Huazhou (Xin'an) 阿哥
Lianjiang (Shijiao) 阿哥
Lianjiang (Qingping) 阿哥, 大哥
Mengshan (Xihe) 哥
Luchuan 哥
Sabah (Bao'an) 阿哥
Sabah (Longchuan) 阿哥
Senai (Huiyang) 阿哥
Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo) 阿哥
Singkawang 阿哥
Huizhou Jixi 哥哥
Jin Taiyuan 哥哥, 哥
Northern Min Jian'ou 哥仔, 哥哥
Eastern Min Fuzhou 依哥
Fuqing 哥, 阿哥
Matsu 依哥
Singapore (Fuqing) 阿哥
Southern Min Xiamen 阿兄, 阿哥, 兄哥, 俺兄
Quanzhou 阿兄
Jinjiang 大兄
Yongchun 阿哥, 哥, 阿兄, 兄
Dehua 阿兄
Zhangzhou 阿兄, 咉兄 <>
Zhao'an 兄, 阿兄
Taipei 阿兄
New Taipei (Sanxia) 阿兄
Kaohsiung 兄哥
Yilan 阿兄
Changhua (Lukang) 阿兄
Taichung 大兄
Taichung (Wuqi) 阿兄
Tainan 阿哥, 兄哥, 兄哥仔
Taitung 大兄
Hsinchu 阿兄
Kinmen 阿兄
Penghu (Magong) 阿兄
Penang (Hokkien) 阿哥, 哥, 哥哥
Singapore (Hokkien) 阿兄, 大兄
Manila (Hokkien) 阿兄, 哥仔 archaic
Chaozhou 阿兄
Shantou 阿兄
Jieyang 阿兄
Bangkok (Teochew) 阿兄
Johor Bahru (Teochew) 阿兄
Singapore (Teochew) 阿兄
Leizhou 兄 ><, 尼兄 <>
Wenchang 阿哥
Haikou 阿兄 ><, 阿哥 ><, 兄 <>
Singapore (Hainanese) 阿哥
Puxian Min Putian 阿兄
Xianyou 阿兄
Zhongshan Min Shaxi (Longdu) 哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 阿哥
Wu Shanghai 阿哥, 哥哥
Shanghai (Chongming) 阿哥
Suzhou 阿哥
Danyang 哥哥
Hangzhou 阿哥, 哥哥
Ningbo 哥哥, 阿哥
Wenzhou 阿大, 哥哥
Jinhua 哥哥 ><, 哥 <>
Xiang Changsha 老兄, 哥哥
Shuangfeng 老兄, 哥哥
Note >< - face-to-face; <> - non-face-to-face

Compounds edit

Descendants edit

  • → Thai: เฮีย (hiia)
  • → Lao: ເຮຍ (hīa)

Japanese edit

Kanji edit

兄

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

  1. elder/older brother
  2. honorific referencing an older brother figure

Readings edit

Compounds edit

Compounds

Etymology 1 edit

Kanji in this term
兄
あに
Grade: 2
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese of unclear derivation:

  • Probably originally a compound of 吾 (a, Eastern Old Japanese first-person pronoun) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 兄 (ye → e, “eldest sibling”, see below):[1]
    ⟨a no2 ye⟩ → */anʉʲɨe/ → /ani/
  • Alternatively, an apophonic form of 姉 (ane, “elder sister”), itself possibly from the same derivation above.[2]
  • Several other theories have also been suggested.[1]

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

兄(あに) • (ani) 

  1. elder brother
  2. elder brother-in-law
    Synonym: 義兄 (gikei)
  3. Short for 花の兄 (hana no ani): alternative name for the 梅 (ume), the Japanese plum (Prunus mume)
Usage notes edit
  • (elder brother): This term conveys neither positive nor negative connotations and is often used in objective narrations. However, using it to describe someone the speaker knows personally is often considered lacking respect, where more polite forms like お兄(にい)さん (onīsan) are preferred.
Coordinate terms edit
Derived terms edit
Derived terms

Etymology 2 edit

Kanji in this term
兄
けい
Grade: 2
kan’on

*/kwæi/ → /kʷæi/ → /keː/

From Middle Chinese 兄 (MC xjwaeng).

Pronunciation edit

  • Pitch accent for suffix unknown.

Noun edit

兄(けい) • (kei) 

  1. (rare) an elder brother
    Coordinate term: 弟 (tei)
Idioms edit

Pronoun edit

兄(けい) • (kei) 

  1. pronoun referencing an older brother figure: you, he

Suffix edit

兄(けい) • (-kei) 

  1. attaches to a name referencing an older brother figure: Mister, Mr.

Etymology 3 edit

Kanji in this term
兄
え
Grade: 2
kun’yomi

/je/ → /e/

From Old Japanese.

Noun edit

兄(え) • (e) 

  1. (archaic) the eldest sibling
    Antonym: 弟 (oto)
    • 711–712, Kojiki, (poem 16):
      , text here
      加都賀都母(かつがつも)伊夜佐岐陀弖流(いやさきだてる)延(𛀁)袁斯麻加牟(をしまかむ) [Man'yōgana]
      かつがつもいや先立(さきだ)てる兄(え)をし枕(ま)かむ [Modern spelling]
      katsugatsu mo iya sakidateru e o shi makamu
      If I have to choose, the one standing there in front―the eldest one I'll wed.[5]
Derived terms edit
Derived terms

Etymology 4 edit

Kanji in this term
兄
せ
Grade: 2
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese.

Alternative forms edit

Noun edit

兄(せ) • (se) 

  1. (archaic) a woman's brother (regardless of age difference)
  2. (archaic) a woman's lover or husband
  3. (archaic) a familiar man
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Derived terms

Etymology 5 edit

Kanji in this term
兄
このかみ
Grade: 2
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese.

Originally a compound of 子 (ko, “child”) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 上 (kami, “upper”).[3][6]

Alternative forms edit

Noun edit

兄(このかみ) • (konokami) 

  1. (archaic) eldest son
    Synonyms: 長兄 (chōkei), 長男 (chōnan)
  2. (archaic) a senior
    Synonym: 年長者 (nenchōsha)
  3. (archaic) (by extension) an elder sibling
  4. (archaic) the head of a clan
  5. (archaic) a skilled craftsman
    Synonym: 頭 (kashira)
Derived terms edit

References edit

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsuoka Shizuo (1929) 日本古語大辞典 [Comprehensive Dictionary of Archaic Japanese]‎[1] (in Japanese), アネ（姉）, page 56: “之からアニといふ語が分派した ― The word ani developed from this”
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
  5. ^ Edwin A. Cranston (1998) The Gem-Glistening Cup (Volume 1 of A Waka Anthology), illustrated, reprint edition, Stanford University Press, →ISBN, page 17
  6. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

Korean edit

Etymology edit

From Middle Chinese 兄 (MC xjwaeng).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 ᄒᆑᇰ (Yale: hyyèng)
Middle Korean
Text Eumhun
Gloss (hun) Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2] ᄆᆞᆮ (Yale: mòt) 혀ᇰ (Yale: hyèng)

Pronunciation edit

Hanja edit

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

兄 (eumhun 형 형 (hyeong hyeong))

  1. Hanja form? of 형 (“older brother of a male”). [noun]

Compounds edit

Compounds

References edit

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [3]

Vietnamese edit

Han character edit

兄: Hán Nôm readings: huynh

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Derived terms edit

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