Chinese

edit
one; single; a
one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)
 
to speak; to say; talk
to speak; to say; talk; word
 
simp. and trad.
(一言)

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

一言

  1. (literary) one sentence; something to say; brief remark
  2. (literary) one character

Derived terms

edit

Descendants

edit
Sino-Xenic (一言):
  • Korean: 일언(一言) (ireon)
  • Vietnamese: nhất ngôn (一言)

Japanese

edit

Etymology 1

edit
Kanji in this term
いち
Grade: 1
ごん
Grade: 2
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese compound 一言 (ʔjit ngjon, literally one + speech, word). The goon, so likely the initial borrowing.

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

(いち)(ごん) (ichigon

  1. a (single) word, a few words
Idioms
edit
Derived terms
edit

Verb

edit

(いち)(ごん)する (ichigon surusuru (stem (いち)(ごん) (ichigon shi), past (いち)(ごん)した (ichigon shita))

  1. to say a few words
Conjugation
edit

Etymology 2

edit
Kanji in this term
いち
Grade: 1
げん
Grade: 2
on'yomi

Shift in pronunciation from ichigon above, using the kan'on of gen for the character.[3]

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

(いち)(げん) (ichigen

  1. a (single) word, a few words
Idioms
edit
Derived terms
edit

Verb

edit

(いち)(げん)する (ichigen surusuru (stem (いち)(げん) (ichigen shi), past (いち)(げん)した (ichigen shita))

  1. to say a few words
Conjugation
edit

Etymology 3

edit
Kanji in this term
ひと
Grade: 1
こと
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Compound of (hito, one) +‎ (koto, word, speech).[3][2]

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

(ひと)(こと) (hitokoto

  1. a (single) word, a few words
Idioms
edit

References

edit
  1. 1.0 1.1 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), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. 3.0 3.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN