Wiktionary

世


世 U+4E16, 世
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E16
← 丕
[U+4E15] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 丗 →
[U+4E17]

TranslingualEdit

Stroke order
 
Stroke order
 

Han characterEdit

世 (Kangxi radical 1, 一+4, 5 strokes, cangjie input 心廿 (PT), four-corner 44717, composition ⿻廿𠃊)

Derived charactersEdit

DescendantsEdit

Further readingEdit

Chinese Wikisource has digitized text of the Kangxi Dictionary entry for 世:

Wikisource


  • KangXi: page 77, character 11
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31
  • Dae Jaweon: page 155, character 2
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 14, character 6
  • Unihan data for U+4E16

ChineseEdit

simp. and trad.
 世
alternative forms
 
丗 ancient
卋
㔺
𠀍
𠦔
丗 ancient
卋
㔺
𠀍
𠦔
𬆑

Glyph originEdit

Historical forms of the character 世
Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
     
Bronze inscriptions
 

b02948

 

b02949

 

b02950

 

b02951

 

b02952

 

b02953

 

b02954

 

b02955

 

b02956

 

b02957

 

b02958

 

b02959

 

b02960

 

b02961

 

b02962

 

b02963

 

b02964

 

b02965

 

b02966

 

b02967

 

b02968

 

b02969

 

b02970

 

b02971

 

b02972

Small seal script
 

s01647

Transcribed ancient scripts
 

L35781

 

L35782

 

L35783

 

L35784

 

L35785

 

L35786

 

L35787

 

L35788

 

L35789

 

L35790

 

L35791

 

L35792

 

L35793

 

L19868

 

L19869

 

L19870

 

L19871

 

L19872

 

L19873

 

L19874

 

L19875

 

L19876

 

L19877

 

L19878

 

L19879

 

L19880

 

L19881

 

L19882

 

L19883

 

L19884

 

L19885

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 (世) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
貰 *ɦljebs, *hljebs
跇 *l̥ʰebs, *lebs
迣 *ʔljebs
世 *hljebs
泄 *lebs, *sled
枻 *lebs
詍 *lebs
靾 *lebs
袣 *lebs
抴 *lebs, *led
呭 *lebs
勩 *lebs, *libs
屜 *l̥ʰeːbs
鰈 *l̥ʰaːb, *l'eːb
渫 *zreːb, *sled
煠 *zreːb, *l̥ʰeb, *leb
喋 *rlaːb, *ʔl'eːb, *l'eːb
鞢 *rlaːb, *sleːb
殜 *l'eb, *leb, *lab
葉 *hljeb, *leb
弽 *hljeb, *hleːb
韘 *hljeb, *sleːb
枼 *leb
楪 *leb
揲 *leb, *l'eːb, *ɦljed
鍱 *leb
偞 *leb, *hleːb
蝶 *l̥ʰeːb, *l'eːb
牒 *l'eːb
蹀 *l'eːb
諜 *l'eːb
堞 *l'eːb
牃 *l'eːb
褋 *l'eːb
惵 *l'eːb
碟 *l'eːb
屧 *sleːb
屟 *sleːb
紲 *sled
齛 *sled
疶 *sled
緤 *sled
媟 *sled
  • Pictogram (象形) – three leaves on a branch. The derivative 葉 (OC *hljeb, *leb) refers to the original word.
  • Ideogrammic compound (會意): Triplication of 十 (“ten”) - thirty, such as a variant form 丗. Thirty years make one generation (thirty times twelve months gives 360 months). Compare 廿 (OC *njɯb, “id-2”).

EtymologyEdit

世 (OC *hljebs) is derived from iterative devoicing of 葉 (OC *leb, “leaf”) + *-s suffix, meaning successive foliages of a tree > generations. Compare Tibetan ལོ་མ (lo ma, “leaf”), Western Tibetan ལོབ་མ (lob ma, “leaf”) and Tibetan ལོ (lo, “year”).

PronunciationEdit

Note:
  • Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taiwan:
    • sì - vernacular;
    • sè - literary.
  • (Teochew)
  • Wu
  • Xiang
    • Dialectal data
    Variety Location 世
    Mandarin Beijing /ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
    Harbin /ʂʐ̩⁵³/
    Tianjin /ʂʐ̩⁵³/
    Jinan /ʂʐ̩²¹/
    Qingdao /ʃz̩⁴²/
    Zhengzhou /ʂʐ̩³¹²/
    Xi'an /ʂʐ̩⁴⁴/
    Xining /ʂʐ̩²¹³/
    Yinchuan /ʂʐ̩¹³/
    Lanzhou /ʂʐ̩¹³/
    Ürümqi /ʂʐ̩²¹³/
    Wuhan /sz̩³⁵/
    Chengdu /sz̩¹³/
    Guiyang /sz̩²¹³/
    Kunming /ʂʐ̩²¹²/
    Nanjing /ʂʐ̩⁴⁴/
    Hefei /ʂʐ̩⁵³/
    Jin Taiyuan /sz̩⁴⁵/
    Pingyao /ʂʐ̩³⁵/
    Hohhot /sz̩⁵⁵/
    Wu Shanghai /sz̩³⁵/
    Suzhou /sz̩ʷ⁵¹³/
    Hangzhou /sz̩⁴⁴⁵/
    Wenzhou /sei⁴²/
    Hui Shexian /ɕi³²⁴/
    Tunxi /ɕie⁴²/
    /ɕi¹¹/
    Xiang Changsha /ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/
    Xiangtan /ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/
    Gan Nanchang /sz̩⁴⁵/
    Hakka Meixian /sz̩⁵³/
    Taoyuan /ʃï⁵⁵/
    Cantonese Guangzhou /sɐi³⁵/
    Nanning /sɐi³³/
    Hong Kong /sɐi³³/
    Min Xiamen (Min Nan) /se²¹/
    /si²¹/
    /sua²¹/
    Fuzhou (Min Dong) /siɛ²¹²/
    Jian'ou (Min Bei) /si³³/
    Shantou (Min Nan) /si²¹³/
    Haikou (Min Nan) /ti³⁵/
    Rime
    Character 世
    Reading # 1/1
    Initial (聲) 書 (26)
    Final (韻) 祭 (35)
    Tone (調) Departing (H)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division (等) III
    Fanqie 舒制切
    Baxter syejH
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/ɕiᴇiH/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/ɕiɛiH/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/ɕjæiH/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/ɕiajH/
    Li
    Rong         		/ɕiɛiH/
    Wang
    Li         		/ɕĭɛiH/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/ɕi̯ɛiH/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		shì
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex         		sai3
    Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character 世
    Reading # 1/1
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)         		shì
    Middle
    Chinese         		‹ syejH ›
    Old
    Chinese         		/*l̥ap-s/
    English generation

    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 世
    Reading # 1/1
    No. 11537
    Phonetic
    component         		世
    Rime
    group         		蓋
    Rime
    subdivision         		2
    Corresponding
    MC rime         		丗
    Old
    Chinese         		/*hljebs/
    Notes 本枼葉初文（文源）

    DefinitionsEdit

    世

    1. generation
      世代  ―  shìdài  ―  generation
      德皇威廉二世  ―  déhuáng Wēilián èr shì  ―  Kaiser Wilhelm II
    2. (literary, or in compounds) for many generations; spanning many generations
      世襲／世袭  ―  shìxí  ―  to inherit; to succeed
      世仇  ―  shìchóu  ―  hereditary enemy
    3. (in terms of address) longstanding friendship between two families; generations of family friendship
      世伯  ―  shìbó  ―  uncle (friend of one's father)
    4. lifetime; all one's life; one's whole life
      一生一世  ―  yīshēngyīshì  ―  all one's life
      下世 [Cantonese]  ―  haa6 sai3 [Jyutping]  ―  next life
    5. era; period; time
      當今之世／当今之世  ―  dāngjīn zhī shì  ―  at present; nowadays
    6. (geology) epoch (geochronologic unit)
      全新世  ―  quánxīnshì  ―  holocene
    7. world; people in the world
      世界  ―  shìjiè  ―  world
      在世  ―  zàishì  ―  alive
    8. (literary, or in compounds) dynasty; regime
    9. (literary, or in compounds) year; age
    10. (literary, or in compounds) worldly; profane; secular
      人情世故  ―  rénqíngshìgù  ―  ways of the world
    11. a surname

    SynonymsEdit

    • (generation): 代 (dài)
    • (for many generations):
    • (lifetime):
    Synonyms of 世
    • (era):
    Synonyms of 世
    • (world):
    • 天下 (tiānxià) (literary, figurative)
    • 天跤下 (Min Nan, figurative)
    • 薄海 (bóhǎi) (literary, figurative)
    • (dynasty):
    Synonyms of 世

    CompoundsEdit

    ReferencesEdit

    JapaneseEdit

    KanjiEdit

    世

    (grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

    ReadingsEdit

    CompoundsEdit

    Compounds

    Etymology 1Edit

    Kanji in this term
    世
    よ
    Grade: 3
    kun’yomi

    ⟨yo2⟩ → /yo/

    From Old Japanese, pronunciation is distinct from 夜 (/yo1/, “night, nighttime”).

    Change in meaning of 節 (yo), in the sense of the bamboos and reeds bulging at certain intervals.[1]

    Alternative formsEdit

    PronunciationEdit

    NounEdit

    世(よ) • (yo) 

    1. world, society
    2. this world, this life
      Synonym: 俗世間 (zoku seken)
    3. generation, age, era
    4. lifetime
      Synonym: 一生 (isshō)
    5. lifespan
      Synonym: 寿命 (jumyō)
    6. time of year, season
      Synonyms: 時節 (jisetsu), 時期 (jiki), 折 (ori)
    7. relationship between a man and a woman
    8. period of a person leading as a patriarch (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
    Derived termsEdit
    Derived terms

    Etymology 2Edit

    Kanji in this term
    世
    せい
    Grade: 3
    on’yomi

    From Middle Chinese 世 (MC ɕiᴇiH). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.

    CounterEdit

    世(せい) • (-sei) 

    1. generation
      ルパン三(さん)世(せい)
      Rupan-sansei
      Lupin the Third

    SuffixEdit

    世(せい) • (-sei) 

    1. (geology) epoch

    Proper nounEdit

    世(せい) • (Sei) 

    1. a female given name

    ReferencesEdit

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

    KoreanEdit

    EtymologyEdit

    From Middle Chinese 世 (MC ɕiᴇiH).

    Historical Readings
    Dongguk Jeongun Reading
    Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 솅〮 (Yale: syéy)
    Middle Korean
    Text Eumhun
    Gloss (hun) Reading
    Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2] 누리〮 (Yale: nwùlí) 셰〯 (Yale: syěy)
    Sinjeung Yuhap, 1576 인간 (Yale: inkan) 셰 (Yale: syey)

    PronunciationEdit

    • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [sʰe̞(ː)]
    • Phonetic hangul: [세(ː)]
      • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

    HanjaEdit

    Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

    Wikisource

    世 (eumhun 인간(人間) 세 (in'gan( 人間 ) se))

    1. Hanja form? of 세 (“world”).
    2. Hanja form? of 세 (“lineage; generation”).

    CompoundsEdit

    Compounds

    ReferencesEdit

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

    OkinawanEdit

    KanjiEdit

    世

    (grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

    ReadingsEdit

    CompoundsEdit

    Compounds

    EtymologyEdit

    Kanji in this term
    世
    ゆー
    Grade: 3
    kun’yomi

    Cognate with mainland Japanese 世 (yo).

    PronunciationEdit

    NounEdit

    世(ゆー) (yū) 

    1. age, era, period, time; rule
    2. world, society

    Derived termsEdit

    ReferencesEdit

    • “ゆー【世】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

    VietnameseEdit

    Han characterEdit

    世: Hán Việt readings: thế
    世: Nôm readings: thế, thá, thé, thể

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

    ReferencesEdit

    Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=世&oldid=73302264"