明王

Chinese

		clear; bright; to understand clear; bright; to understand; next; the Ming dynasty	king; Wang (proper name)
simp. and trad. (明王)		明	王

Etymology

From Sanskrit विद्याराज (vidyārāja, “knowledge king”)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): míngwáng

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ming⁴ wong⁴
• Min Nan (POJ): bêng-ông

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: míngwáng
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄤˊ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mingwang
    • Tongyong Pinyin: míngwáng
    • Wade–Giles: ming2-wang2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ³⁵ wɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ming⁴ wong⁴
    • Yale: mìhng wòhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ming⁴ wong⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ming⁴ wong⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɪŋ²¹ wɔːŋ²¹/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng-ông
    • Tâi-lô: bîng-ông
    • Phofsit Daibuun: beng'oong
    • IPA (Xiamen): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² ɔŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² ɔŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪŋ¹³⁻²² ɔŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ ɔŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³⁻³³ ɔŋ²³/

Noun

明王

1. (literary, honorific) enlightened sage (referring to the monarch)

Related terms

• 明妃

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (明王):

• → Japanese: 明王(みょうおう) (myōō)
• → Korean: 명왕 (明王, myeong'wang)

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Japanese

明王 (myōō): a statue of a Wisdom King, specifically Fudō Myōō.

Kanji in this term
明	王
みょう Grade: 2	おう Grade: 1
on’yomi

Etymology

Buddhist term, imported into Japanese when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, some time during the Kofun, Asuka, and Nara periods.

From Middle Chinese 明王 (*miæng *hiuɑng, literally “wisdom king”), itself a translation of Sanskrit विद्याराज (vidyārāja, “knowledge king”).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) みょーお​ー [myòóóꜜò] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [mʲo̞ːo̞ː]

Noun

明(みょう)王(おう) • (myōō) 

1. (religion, Buddhism) a Wisdom King in Vajrayana Buddhism

   Also called a Guardian King.

2. (religion, Buddhism) short for 五大明王 (​Go Dai Myōō), the Five Wisdom Kings
3. (religion, Buddhism) by extension, more specifically refers to 不動明王 (​Fudō Myōō), the central figure of the Five Wisdom Kings
4. (rare) a wise gentleman

Derived terms

• 五大明王 (ごだいみょうおう, ​Go Dai Myōō): the Five Wisdom Kings