南無

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (南無)		南	無
simp. (南无)		南	无
alternative forms		南摸 南謨／南谟 曩謨／曩谟 南膜 南摩 南摸 南謨／南谟 曩謨／曩谟 南膜 南摩 納慕／纳慕 那謨／那谟 那模 娜母 喃嘸／喃呒

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit नमो (namo), the sandhi form of Sanskrit नमस् (namas, literally “a bow”) that appears before words beginning with a voiced consonant, which was presumably common in Buddhist texts.

The modern pronunciations are irregular in order to match the original Sanskrit pronunciation.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nāmó, námó

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄚ ㄇㄛˊ, ㄋㄚˊ ㄇㄛˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): naa¹ mou⁴ / naa¹ mo⁴
• Gan (Wiktionary): la⁴ mo⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lâm-bû / nâ-mô͘

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nāmó
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄚ ㄇㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: namó
    • Wade–Giles: na¹-mo²
    • Yale: nā-mwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nhamo
    • Palladius: намо (namo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nä⁵⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: námó
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄚˊ ㄇㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: námó
    • Wade–Giles: na²-mo²
    • Yale: ná-mwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: namo
    • Palladius: намо (namo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nä³⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: naa¹ mou⁴ / naa¹ mo⁴
    • Yale: nā mòuh / nā mòh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: naa¹ mou⁴ / naa¹ mo⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: na¹ mou⁴ / na¹ mo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /naː⁵⁵ mou̯²¹/, /naː⁵⁵ mɔː²¹/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: la⁴ mo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /la³⁵ mo³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lâm-bû
    • Tâi-lô: lâm-bû
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lambuu
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /lam²⁴⁻²² bu²⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /lam²⁴⁻¹¹ bu²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /lam¹³⁻²² bu¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lam²³⁻³³ bu²³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nâ-mô͘
    • Tâi-lô: nâ-môo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: namoo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /nã²³⁻³³ mɔ̃²³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /nã²⁴⁻¹¹ mɔ̃²⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: nom mju

Rime
Character	南	無
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	泥 (8)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	覃 (159)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	那含切	武夫切
Baxter	nom	mju
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/nʌm/	/mɨo/
Pan Wuyun	/nəm/	/mio/
Shao Rongfen	/nɒm/	/mio/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/nəm/	/muə̆/
Li Rong	/nᴀm/	/mio/
Wang Li	/nɒm/	/mĭu/
Bernard Karlgren	/năm/	/mi̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	nán	wú
Expected Cantonese Reflex	naam4	mou4

Verb

南無

1. (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith: to salute; to homage or to take refuge (a Buddha or a Bodhisattva).

Derived terms

• 南無佛／南无佛
• 南無本師釋迦牟尼佛／南无本师释迦牟尼佛
• 南無耶／南无耶 (námóyé)
• 南無觀世音菩薩／南无观世音菩萨
• 南無阿彌陀佛／南无阿弥陀佛
• 喃嘸佬／喃呒佬

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (南無):

• → Japanese: 南無(なむ) (namu); 南無(なも) (namo)
• → Korean: 나무(南無) (namu)
• → Vietnamese: nam mô (南無)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
南	無
な Grade: 2 (ateji)	む Grade: 4 (ateji)
on'yomi

Transliteration of Sanskrit नमो (namo), from Sanskrit नमस् (námas, literally “a bow”), possibly via Middle Chinese 南無 (MC nom mju).

Compare Mandarin 南無／南无 (námó).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) なむ [náꜜmù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [na̠mɯ̟]

Phrase

南(な)無(む) • (namu) 

1. (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith: to salute; to homage or to take refuge (a Buddha or a Bodhisattva).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 南無(なむ)阿弥陀(あみだ) (Namu Amida)
• 南無(なむ)阿弥陀(あみだ)仏(ぶつ) (Namu Amida-butsu)
• 南無阿弥(なむおみ)豆腐(どうふ) (namuomi-dōfu)
• 南無(なむ)帰命(きみょう) (namu kimyō)
• 南無(なむ)三(さん) (namu san)
• 南無(なむ)三宝(さんぼう) (Namu Sanbō)
• 南無(なむ)当来(とうらい)導師(どうし) (Namu Tōrai Dōshi)
• 南無(なむ)妙法(みょうほう)蓮華(れんげ)経(きょう) (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
南	無
な Grade: 2 (ateji)	も Grade: 4 (ateji)
on'yomi	tōon

Alternative spelling
南謨

Likely a borrowing from Mandarin 南無／南无 (námó).

Phrase

南(な)無(も) • (namo) 

1. (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith: to salute; to homage or to take refuge (a Buddha or a Bodhisattva).

See also

• 帰(き)命(みょう) (kimyō)