See also:
U+547D, 命
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-547D

[U+547C]
CJK Unified Ideographs
[U+547E]

Translingual

edit
Stroke order
 

Han character

edit

(Kangxi radical 30, +5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 人一口中 (OMRL), four-corner 80627, composition or )

Derived characters

edit

References

edit
  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 183, character 18
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3473
  • Dae Jaweon: page 402, character 15
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 604, character 11
  • Unihan data for U+547D

Chinese

edit
simp. and trad.
alternative forms 𠇮
𫝇

Glyph origin

edit
Historical forms of the character
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
         

Phono-semantic compound (形聲形声, OC *mreŋs) : semantic (mouth) + phonetic (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs). Doublet of (OC *reːŋ).

Etymology

edit

Related to (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs, “to order; to command; order”) (Wang, 1982). Both may be derived from (OC *meŋ, “name”): “name” () > “to name; to give (a name to)” () > “to order; to command” > “order; command” > “destiny; fate; lot” > “life” (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

edit

Note:
  • meng6 - vernacular;
  • ming6 - literary.
Note:
  • miang - vernacular;
  • min - literary.
Note:
  • miâng - vernacular;
  • mêng - literary.
Note:
  • mia5 - vernacular;
  • ming5 - literary.
Note:
  • miā - vernacular;
  • bēng - literary.
Note:
  • mian7 - vernacular;
  • mêng6 - literary.
    • (Leizhou)
      • Leizhou Pinyin: mia1 / ming7
      • Sinological IPA: /mia³⁵/, /miŋ⁵⁵/
Note:
  • mia1 - vernacular;
  • ming7 - literary.
Note:
  • min5 - vernacular;
  • min4 - literary.

    Rime
    Character
    Reading # 1/1
    Initial () (4)
    Final () (111)
    Tone (調) Departing (H)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division () III
    Fanqie
    Baxter mjaengH
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang
    /mˠiæŋH/
    Pan
    Wuyun
    /mᵚiaŋH/
    Shao
    Rongfen
    /miaŋH/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank
    /miajŋH/
    Li
    Rong
    /miɐŋH/
    Wang
    Li
    /mĭɐŋH/
    Bernhard
    Karlgren
    /mi̯ɐŋH/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex
    mìng
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex
    ming6
    BaxterSagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character
    Reading # 1/1
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)
    mìng
    Middle
    Chinese
    ‹ mjængH ›
    Old
    Chinese
    /*m-riŋ-s/ (dialect: *m-r- > *mr-, *-iŋ> *-eŋ)
    English command (n.)

    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. 8275
    Phonetic
    component
    Rime
    group
    Rime
    subdivision
    0
    Corresponding
    MC rime
    Old
    Chinese
    /*mreŋs/
    Notes

    Definitions

    edit

    1. life; existence; state of living (Classifier: m c)
    2. lifespan; life expectancy
    3. destiny; fate; luck
    4. order; command; instruction
    5. to order; to command
    6. to give (a title, name to); to name

    Synonyms

    edit

    See also

    edit
    • 生活 (shēnghuó, “(personal aspects of) life”)

    Compounds

    edit

    Japanese

    edit

    Kanji

    edit

    (Third grade kyōiku kanji)

    Readings

    edit

    Compounds

    edit

    Etymology 1

    edit
    Kanji in this term
    いのち
    Grade: 3
    kun'yomi

    From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *inəti. Probably a compound of Old Japanese elements (i, breath, i in compounds, iki on its own) +‎ (no, possessive particle) +‎ (chi, spirit, force, soul).

    Some analyses describe this as a compound using (i, life, breath, i in compounds, iki on its own) as the initial semantic element. This is equally valid, as (iki) and 生き (iki) are cognates.

    Pronunciation

    edit

    Noun

    edit

    (いのち) (inochi

    1. life
      (いのち)(おん)(じん)
      inochi no onjin
      person to whom one owes their life
    2. lifespan
    3. lifetime
    4. fate, destiny
    5. (figuratively) the most important part or aspect of a thing
    Usage notes
    edit

    as "life" is distinct from several other Japanese words that may also be translated to English as "life". In particular, it means "the state of being alive, an animating force, or life as a whole (from birth to death)". Compare the terms below, which may also be rendered as "life" in English:

    • 生活 (seikatsu, life): Day-to-day life as it is experienced; lifestyle; one's usual activities, habits, and routines.
    • 生存 (seizon, life): Action involved in staying alive, as in "signs of life".
    • 生命 (seimei, life): Biological life in general, particularly in scientific contexts.
    • 存在 (sonzai, life): Being; either the state of existing or a thing that exists.
    • 人生 (jinsei, life): A person's narrative, experience, and/or accomplishments from birth to death.
    • 寿命 (jumyō, life): Lifespan or life expectancy.
    • 残機 (zanki, life): A video-game life; a chance to play.
    • 元気 (genki, life): Liveliness.
    Synonyms
    edit

    Etymology 2

    edit
    Kanji in this term
    みこと
    Grade: 3
    kun'yomi

    From Old Japanese. Compound of (mi-, honorific prefix) +‎ (koto, word).[2] The mi prefix is generally limited to extremely high-status contexts such as gods or emperors.

    Alternative forms

    edit

    Pronunciation

    edit

    Noun

    edit

    (みこと) (mikoto

    1. the words or pronouncements of a god or an emperor

    Etymology 3

    edit
    Kanji in this term
    みこと
    Grade: 3
    kun'yomi

    From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of (mi-, honorific prefix) +‎ (koto, abstract thing, as opposed to , mono, “concrete thing”).[2][1]

    Alternative forms

    edit

    Pronunciation

    edit

    Noun

    edit

    (みこと) (mikoto

    1. the honorable, the exalted
      Used as a title after the referenced noun when referring to gods, emperors, or other high-status persons.
      • 711–712, Kojiki, Kami tsu maki:
        夜知富許能 迦微能美許登
        八千矛の神の
        やちほこのかみのみこと
        Yachihoko no kami no mikoto wa
        the honorable god Yachihoko
      • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book Book 20, No. 4408:
        波々蘇婆能 波々能美許等波
        柞葉の母の
        ははそばのははのみこと
        hahasoba no haha no mikoto wa
        the exalted mother of the oak leaf
    2. the beloved, dearly beloved
      Similarly used as a title after the referenced noun.
      • 711–712, Kojiki, Kami tsu maki:
        和加久佐能 都麻能美許登
        若草の妻の
        わかくさのつまのみこと
        Wakakusa no tsuma no mikoto
        dearly beloved young wife

    Pronoun

    edit

    (みこと) (mikoto

    1. you
    2. that person
    Usage notes
    edit

    Used ironically from the late Heian period, expressing a sense of mild derision or ridicule.

    Etymology 4

    edit
    Kanji in this term
    めい
    Grade: 3
    on'yomi

    From Middle Chinese (mjængH, command). Compare modern Mandarin (mìng, life, destiny, instruction).

    Pronunciation

    edit

    Noun

    edit

    (めい) (mei

    1. fate, destiny
    2. life, lifespan
    3. order, command
    Synonyms
    edit

    References

    edit
    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
    2. 2.0 2.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

    Korean

    edit

    Hanja

    edit

    (eumhun 목숨 (moksum myeong))

    1. hanja form? of (life)

    Okinawan

    edit

    Kanji

    edit

    (Third grade kyōiku kanji)

    Readings

    edit

    Etymology 1

    edit

    From Proto-Ryukyuan *inoti, from Proto-Japonic *inəti.

    Kanji in this term
    ぬち
    Grade: 3
    kun'yomi

    Pronunciation

    edit

    Noun

    edit

    (ぬち) (nuchi

    1. life

    Etymology 2

    edit
    Kanji in this term
    いぬち
    Grade: 3
    kun'yomi

    Noun

    edit

    (いぬち) (inuchi

    1. (literary) life

    References

    edit
    • ぬち【命】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

    Vietnamese

    edit

    Han character

    edit

    : Hán Việt readings: mệnh, mạng
    : Nôm readings: mạng, mạnh, mệnh, mình

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