為
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TranslingualEdit
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Han characterEdit
為 (Kangxi radical 86, 火+5, 9 strokes, cangjie input 戈大弓火 (IKNF), four-corner 20227, composition ⿵⿻𬼀⿳㇇㇇𠃌灬)
Derived charactersEdit
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- KangXi: not present, would follow page 669, character 10
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 18981
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2198, character 11
- Unihan data for U+70BA
ChineseEdit
| trad. | 為/爲 | |
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| simp. | 为 | |
| alternative forms | 𤔡 𫞟 | |
Glyph originEdit
| Historical forms of the character 為 | ||||
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| 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 |
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Simplified from 爲.
In the oracle bone script, it is an ideogrammic compound (會意): 又 (“hand”) + 象 (“elephant”) — a hand holding an elephant. The 又 later became 爪 (“hand; claw”).
Shuowen Jiezi interprets the character as a representation of the female macaque.
EtymologyEdit
The two pronunciations below (“to make; to do; to be”, “for; to; because”) are cognate; the latter is the *–s derivative of the former. Words meaning “to make, to do” often have secondary meanings of “for, as” – compare 作.
Etymology not certain. Starostin compared this word with Tibetan བགྱིད (bgyid, “to make, to manufacture”), བགྱི་བ (bgyi ba, “action, deed”), ཡིན (yin, “is, be”) and Burmese ဝေ (we, “to distribute, to share”). Schuessler (2007) listed *ʔaajh (“to give”) (> Khmer ឲ្យ (ʼaoy, “to give, to donate”)) and Khmer ធ្វើ (thvəə, “to do, to make”), although the vowels do not match.
The graphic representation using a monkey or an elephant probably stems from a homophonic or near-homophonic etymon which was rarely attested; compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b/g-woj-n > Jingpho woi (“monkey”) and possibly 猿 (OC *ɢʷan, “ape”). STEDT considers this word to be a possible descendant of Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-gwi(j) (“elephant”). Outside Sino-Tibetan, compare Proto-Vietic *-vɔːj (“elephant”) > Vietnamese voi (“elephant”).
Pronunciation 1Edit
DefinitionsEdit
為
- to do; to act; to make
- to administer; to govern
- 善人為邦百年，亦可以勝殘去殺矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Shànrén wéi bāng bǎinián, yì kěyǐ shèng cán qù shā yǐ. [Pinyin]
- If good men were to govern a country in succession for a hundred years, they would be able to transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital punishments.
善人为邦百年，亦可以胜残去杀矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- to construct; to make
- to become; to turn into
- to be (equivalent to, equal to)
- to take something as
- to act as; to serve as; to behave as
- 子曰：「溫故而知新，可以為師矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Zǐ yuē: “Wēn gù ér zhī xīn, kěyǐ wéi shī yǐ.” [Pinyin]
- The Master said, "If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."
子曰：“温故而知新，可以为师矣。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- 其竹節度三尺，柔細可為索，亦以皮為麻。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Tang Dynasty, Fan Chuo, Manshu, chapter 7, part 7
- Qí zhújié duó sān chǐ, róuxì kě wéi suǒ, yì yǐ pí wéi má. [Pinyin]
- Each joint measures three chi; thin and supple, it may be used as a rope, and its skin may also be used as linen.
其竹节度三尺，柔细可为索，亦以皮为麻。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- by
- Suffix used after a single-character adjective to form an adverb
- Suffix used after a single-character adverb for emphasis
CompoundsEdit
Pronunciation 2Edit
DefinitionsEdit
為
CompoundsEdit
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JapaneseEdit
| 為 | |
| 爲 |
KanjiEdit
(common “Jōyō” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 爲)
ReadingsEdit
- Go-on: い (i, Jōyō)←ゐ (wi, historical)
- Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō)←ゐ (wi, historical)
- Kun: する (suru, 為る); ため (tame, 為); たり (tari, 為); つくる (tsukuru, 為る); なす (nasu, 為す); なり (nari, 為); なる (naru, 為る)
- Nanori: さだ (sada); しげ (shige); す (su); すけ (suke); た (ta); ち (chi); なり (nari); びい (bii); ゆき (yuki); よし (yoshi); より (yori)
CompoundsEdit
Etymology 1Edit
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 為 |
| ため Grade: S |
| kun’yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 爲 (kyūjitai) |
| For pronunciation and definitions of 為 – see the following entry. | ||
| ||
| (This term, 為, is an alternative spelling of the above term.) |
Etymology 2Edit
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 為 |
| た Grade: S |
| kun’yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 爲 (kyūjitai) |
| For pronunciation and definitions of 為 – see た. (This term, 為, is an alternative spelling of the above terms.) |
(The following entry is uncreated: た.)
Etymology 3Edit
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 為 |
| す Grade: S |
| kun’yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 爲 (kyūjitai) |
| For pronunciation and definitions of 為 – see the following entry. | ||
| ||
| (This term, 為, is an alternative spelling of the above term.) |
Usage notesEdit
- Used as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨su⟩.
Etymology 4Edit
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 為 |
| い Grade: S |
| on’yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 爲 (kyūjitai) |
/wi/ → /i/
From Middle Chinese 為 (MC ɦˠiuᴇ).
NounEdit
- the twelfth string on a koto (Japanese zither)
- a fingering method for playing the shakuhachi (Japanese flute)
AffixEdit
Derived termsEdit
KoreanEdit
HanjaEdit
為 (eum 위 (wi))
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
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VietnameseEdit
Han characterEdit
為: Hán Nôm readings: vi, vị, vĩ
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
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