U+516C, 公
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-516C

[U+516B]
CJK Unified Ideographs
[U+516D]

Translingual Edit

Stroke order
 
Stroke order
 

Han character Edit

(Kangxi radical 12, +2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 金戈 (CI), four-corner 80732, composition )

Derived characters Edit

References Edit

  • KangXi: page 126, character 28
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1452
  • Dae Jaweon: page 277, character 1
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 242, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+516C

Chinese Edit

trad.
simp. #
alternative forms

Glyph origin Edit

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





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).
 
A from the Longshan culture (also called Black Pottery Culture) [3000 – 1900 BC].

The traditional interpretation as given by Han Feizi is that is a compound of (= (“to deviate; opposite”)) and (original form of (“individual; private”)), i.e. the opposite of “private” — “public”. This theory is supported by Sun Yirang and Qiang Kaiyun, despite the somewhat different shape of the bottom component from .

This is disputed in modern times by Gao Hongjin, who thinks that the on top stands for (“to divide; to distribute”) and the bottom round component symbolises a generic object. thus represents “equally dividing resources so that they are communal”.

Another theory put forth by Zhu Fangpu is that is a pictogram (象形), being the original form of (OC *qloːŋs, “a wide-mouthed round-bottomed jar”), and later borrowed for the meanings of “public” and “male of older generation or higher rank”.

Etymology Edit

"fair; impartial; public"
From Sino-Tibetan; cognate with Tibetan གུང (gung), དགུང (dgung, middle), considering that "middle" may be semantically associated with "balance" (Schuessler, 2007).
"male of older generation or higher rank; duke; male (of animals)"
This word has been connected to (OC *qloːŋ) (Wang, 1982; Unger, 1999; Baxter and Sagart, 2017). Baxter and Sagart (2017) also includes (OC *t-qoŋ, “husband's father”) in this word family.
STEDT provisionally sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kaŋ (father; grandfather; honorific), also comparing it to ; compare Drung kangkang (grandpa), vkang ((my/our) grandfather), Burmese ခင် (hkang), as in မိခင် (mi.hkang, mother), ဖခင် (hpa.hkang, father). Alternatively, STEDT also compares it with Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gaŋ (penis; male), whence (OC *ɡʷɯŋ, “male”), but considers it less probable.
Schuessler (2007) suggests a Mon-Khmer origin; compare Khmer ឡូញ (louñ, title of an unidentified rank or function) and Old Khmer khloñ (head, chief) (whence ខ្លោង (khlaong)). Compare also Thai ลุง (lung), from Proto-Tai *luŋᴬ (parent's older brother), which may also be from Mon-Khmer. Tibetan [script needed] (khong) ~ [script needed] (gong, final syllable in dignitaries' name) may be borrowed from Chinese.

Pronunciation Edit


Note:
  • é̤ng - vernacular;
  • gó̤ng - literary.
  • Min Dong
  • Note:
    • gĕ̤ng - vernacular;
    • gŭng - literary.
  • Min Nan
  • Note:
    • kang - vernacular;
    • kong - literary.
    Note:
    • gang1 - vernacular;
    • gong1 - literary.
  • Wu
  • Xiang

    • Dialectal data
    Variety Location
    Mandarin Beijing /kuŋ⁵⁵/
    Harbin /kuŋ⁴⁴/
    Tianjin /kuŋ²¹/
    Jinan /kuŋ²¹³/
    Qingdao /kəŋ²¹³/
    Zhengzhou /kuŋ²⁴/
    Xi'an /kuŋ²¹/
    Xining /kuə̃⁴⁴/
    Yinchuan /kuŋ⁴⁴/
    Lanzhou /kũn³¹/
    Ürümqi /kuŋ⁴⁴/
    Wuhan /koŋ⁵⁵/
    Chengdu /koŋ⁵⁵/
    Guiyang /koŋ⁵⁵/
    Kunming /koŋ⁴⁴/
    Nanjing /koŋ³¹/
    Hefei /kəŋ²¹/
    Jin Taiyuan /kuəŋ¹¹/
    Pingyao /kuŋ¹³/
    Hohhot /kũŋ³¹/
    Wu Shanghai /koŋ⁵³/
    Suzhou /koŋ⁵⁵/
    Hangzhou /koŋ³³/
    Wenzhou /koŋ³³/
    Hui Shexian /kuʌ̃³¹/
    Tunxi /kan¹¹/
    Xiang Changsha /koŋ³³/
    Xiangtan /kən³³/
    Gan Nanchang /kuŋ⁴²/
    Hakka Meixian /kuŋ⁴⁴/
    Taoyuan /kuŋ²⁴/
    Cantonese Guangzhou /koŋ⁵³/
    Nanning /kuŋ⁵⁵/
    Hong Kong /kuŋ⁵⁵/
    Min Xiamen (Min Nan) /kiɔŋ⁵⁵/
    /kaŋ⁵⁵/
    Fuzhou (Min Dong) /kuŋ⁴⁴/
    Jian'ou (Min Bei) /kɔŋ⁵⁴/
    Shantou (Min Nan) /koŋ³³/
    /kaŋ³³/
    Haikou (Min Nan) /koŋ²³/
    /kaŋ²³/

    Rime
    Character
    Reading # 1/1
    Initial () (28)
    Final () (1)
    Tone (調) Level (Ø)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division () I
    Fanqie
    Baxter kuwng
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang
    /kuŋ/
    Pan
    Wuyun
    /kuŋ/
    Shao
    Rongfen
    /kuŋ/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank
    /kəwŋ/
    Li
    Rong
    /kuŋ/
    Wang
    Li
    /kuŋ/
    Bernard
    Karlgren
    /kuŋ/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex
    gōng
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex
    gung1
    BaxterSagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character
    Reading # 1/2 2/2
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)
    gōng gōng
    Middle
    Chinese
    ‹ kuwng › ‹ kuwng ›
    Old
    Chinese
    /*C.qˁoŋ/ /*C.qˁoŋ/
    English impartial, just; public father; prince

    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
    Reading # 1/1
    No. 4092
    Phonetic
    component
    Rime
    group
    Rime
    subdivision
    0
    Corresponding
    MC rime
    Old
    Chinese
    /*kloːŋ/

    Definitions Edit

    1. public; communal
      Antonym: ()
    2. fair; equitable
    3. to make public; to announce
    4. international; universal
        ―  gōnghǎi  ―  international waters
        ―  gōng  ―  kilometer
        ―  gōngchǐ  ―  meter
    5. duke
    6. (of animals) male
      Antonym: ()
        ―  gōng  ―  rooster
    7. (honorific) old man or a man of high status
        ―  Chén gōng Dàwén zhī mù  ―  Tomb of Mr. Chen Dawen (written on a tombstone)
        ―  Jiǎng gōng  ―  Chiang Kai-shek (honorific form)
    8. grandfather
    9. father-in-law (husband's father)
        ―  gōng  ―  parents-in-law (husband's parents)
    10. (Cantonese) heads (side of a coin)
    11. (Hakka) A noun suffix
      [Sixian Hakka]  ―  phi-kûng [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ]  ―  nose
      [Meixian Hakka]  ―  miau4 gung1 [Hakka Transliteration Scheme]  ―  cat
    12. a surname

    Synonyms Edit

    Compounds Edit

    Descendants Edit

    Sino-Xenic ():
    • Japanese: (こう) (, duke)
    • Korean: 공(公) (gong, duke)
    • Vietnamese: công (, duke)

    Others:

    • Mongolian: гүн (gün)
    • Manchu: ᡤᡠᠩ (gung)
    • Thai: กง (gong, grandfather) (said by Chinese race)

    Japanese Edit

    Shinjitai

    Kyūjitai

    Kanji Edit

    (grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

    Readings Edit

    Compounds Edit

    Etymology 1 Edit

    Kanji in this term
    おおやけ
    Grade: 2
    kun’yomi
    For pronunciation and definitions of – see the following entry.
    おおやけ
    [noun] public
    [noun] official, governmental
    (This term, , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

    Etymology 2 Edit

    Kanji in this term
    こう
    Grade: 2
    on’yomi

    From Middle Chinese (MC kuwng).

    Pronunciation Edit

    Noun Edit

    (こう) (

    1. (honorific) a European sovereign prince
      モナコ(こう)
      Monako
      the Prince of Monaco
      ウェールズ(こう)チャールズ
      Wēruzu Chāruzu
      Charles, Prince of Wales
    2. (honorific) a duke; in China and Vietnam, an alternative to (ō, prince), used by certain dynasties for princes
      Holonym: 五爵
      Coordinate terms: , 公爵, , ,
      (しゅう)(こう)(たん)
      Shūkō Tan
      Dan, Duke of Zhou
      (とう)(きゅう)(こう)
      Tō Kyūkō
      the Ninth Deng Duke; the Ninth Duke of the Dengs/Deng family
      (こう)()
      kōshi
      a duke's son
      (こう)(じょ)
      kōjo
      a duke's daughter
      (こう)(そん)
      kōson
      a duke's grandchild
      エディンバラ(こう)フィリップ(おう)(はい)
      Edinbara Firippu Ōhai
      Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
    3. (familiar) used as suffix to denote familiarity with or disdain for someone or an animal
      • 1997 September 1 [1996 October 10], Fujiko F. Fujio, “どこかでだれかが の(まき)”, in エスパー魔美 [Esper Mami], 4th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 245:
        マミ(こう)‼どこへいったんだ。しようがないなあ‼モデルという(じゅう)(よう)なしごとを、こづかいかせぎぐらいにしか、かんがえていないんだから。
        Mami-kō‼ Doko e itta n da. Shiyō ga nai nā‼ Moderu to iu jūyō na shigoto o, kozukai kasegigurai ni shika, kangaete inai n da kara.
        Mami!! Where the hell’d she go? This is unacceptable!! She treats serious modeling as nothing but a way to get pocket money.

    Etymology 3 Edit

    Kanji in this term
    きみ
    Grade: 2
    kun’yomi
    For pronunciation and definitions of – see the following entry.
    きみ3
    [noun] a ruler of a country
    [noun] an emperor
    [noun] a lord
    [noun] a master
    [noun] a nobleman or other person of high(er) rank
    [noun] (historical, archaic) a prostitute
    [noun] (historical) one of the hereditary titles bestowed to local chiefs in ancient Japan
    [pronoun] (informal, chiefly men's speech) second-person personal pronoun: you
    [pronoun] (after a (ga) or (no) particle) term of respect to another person
    Alternative spelling
    キミ
    ぎみ3
    [suffix] indicates respect
    (This term, , is an alternative spelling (uncommon) of the above term.)

    References Edit

    1. ^ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

    Korean Edit

    Etymology Edit

    From Middle Chinese (MC kuwng). Recorded as Middle Korean 고ᇰ (kwong) (Yale: kwong) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

    Hanja Edit

    Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

    Wikisource

    (eumhun 공평할 (gongpyeonghal gong))

    1. Hanja form? of (fair; official).

    Compounds Edit

    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. [1]

    Vietnamese Edit

    Han character Edit

    : Hán Nôm readings: công

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