由

See also: 田, 甲, 申, 甶, 甴, 曱, 𤰔, and 油

由	U+7531, 由 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7531

← 田
[U+7530]

CJK Unified Ideographs

甲 →
[U+7532]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

See images of
Radical 102 由

由 (Kangxi radical 102, 田+0, 5 strokes, cangjie input 中田 (LW), four-corner 5060₀, composition ⿻日丨 or ⿻囗十)

Derived characters

廸, 迪, 鼬, 邮, 頔(𬱖), 㐕, 甹, 㕀, 㽕, 畁, 冑, 胄, 宙, 峀, 苖, 笛, 届, 庙, 㾄, 寅, 黄, 黃, 㑹, 褏
伷, 妯, 岫, 㣙, 怞, 抽, 油, 㹨, 柚, 牰, 䄂, 秞, 袖, 粙, 紬(䌷), 舳, 蚰, 䛆, 䜬, 軸(轴), 釉, 鈾(铀), 䩜, 駎(𩧨), 鮋(鲉)

Additional Derived Characters

𧻉, 𫠘, 𠃦, 𭘌, 𤱁, 𤱉, 𤱤, 𤉕, 𤲣, 𢆟, 𤳃, 𤳄, 𬏌, 𩿬, 𡳧, 𤳐, 𬏕, 𤳨, 𤳸, 𧈕
𠱋, 𡊡, 𢂎, 𫔼, 𤤧, 𫆚, 𥑤, 𬔈, 𤉓, 𧲹, 𬰹, 𪳫, 𪽝, 𤳷
𡛽, 𡱋, 𢍁, 𭘋, 𤰰, 𬏁, 𠔔, 𩊄, 𤰋, 𠔍, 𠰬, 𡘊, 峀, 𤽙, 𥥉, 𦥪, 𫘼, 𧆭, 𫔞, 𤰔, 𧙏, 𮏬

Descendants

ゆ
ユ

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 757, character 1
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 21724
Dae Jaweon: page 1167, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2524, character 2
Unihan data for U+7531

Chinese

simp. and trad.		由
alternative forms		繇

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 由
Western Zhou
Bronze inscriptions

Characters in the same phonetic series (由) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
袖	*ljɯwɢs
岫	*ljɯwɢs
牰	ljɯwɢs, lɯwɢs
抽	*l̥ʰɯw
妯	l̥ʰɯw, l'ɯwɢ
紬	*l'ɯw
怞	*l'ɯw
鮋	l'ɯw, ɦljɯw, *lɯw
菗	*rlɯw
宙	*l'ɯwɢs
胄	*l'ɯwɢs
冑	*l'ɯwɢs
伷	*l'ɯwɢs
駎	*l'ɯwɢs
油	lɯw, lɯwɢs
由	*lɯw
蚰	*lɯw
秞	*lɯw
邮	*lɯw
釉	*lɯwɢs
柚	lɯwɢs, l'ɯwɢ
鼬	*lɯwɢs
苖	l'ɯːwɢ, l̥ʰɯwɢ
笛	*l'ɯːwɢ
迪	*l'ɯːwɢ
頔	*l'ɯːwɢ
軸	*l'ɯwɢ
舳	*l'ɯwɢ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *lɯw): phonetic 十 (OC *ɡjub) + semantic 口 (“mouth”) – a container with on top the pictogram of a needle (十, today 針), to indicate the ancient pronunciation. Compare the bottom part of the original version of 缶, an earthenware pot. In oracle bones, 由 was used as the original version of 怞 (yóu or, in the less conservative pronunciation, chóu). See also 俞.

Otherwise, according to Tang Lan (唐蘭), it's the pictogram of a helmet. If a helmet, may have been the same as or original character of 冑. However, this alternative interpretation is less likely.

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Related to 遊?”)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yóu (you²)

(Zhuyin): ㄧㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jau⁴ / jau^4-2
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): yù

(Hailu, HRS): rhiu
Jin (Wiktionary): iou¹
Northern Min (KCR): iǔ
Eastern Min (BUC): iù
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): iu²
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): iû

(Teochew, Peng'im): iu⁵
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶yeu

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yóu
  - Wade–Giles: yu²
  - Yale: yóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: you
  - Palladius: ю (ju)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /joʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: jau⁴ / jau^4-2
  - Yale: yàuh / yáu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jau⁴ / jau^4-2
  - Guangdong Romanization: yeo⁴ / yeo^4-2
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐu̯²¹/, /jɐu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

Note: jau4-2 - only used for "to follow".

Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yù
  - Hakka Romanization System: iu^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yiu²
  - Sinological IPA: /i̯u¹¹/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yù
  - Hakka Romanization System: (r)iu^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yiu²
  - Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯u¹¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: rhiu
  - Sinological IPA: /ʒiu⁵⁵/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: iou¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /iəu¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: iǔ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iu²¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: iù
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ieu⁵³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: iu²
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: iú
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iu¹³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: iu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iu²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iû
  - Tâi-lô: iû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: iuu
  - IPA (Xiamen): /iu²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /iu²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /iu¹³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /iu²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /iu²³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: iu⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iû
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iu⁵⁵/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶yeu
  - MiniDict: yeu^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hhieu
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦiɤ²³/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 由
Mandarin	Beijing	/iou³⁵/
	Harbin	/iou²⁴/
	Tianjin	/iou⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/iou⁴²/
	Qingdao	/iou⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/iou⁴²/
	Xi'an	/iou²⁴/
	Xining	/iɯ²⁴/
	Yinchuan	/iəu⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/iou⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/iɤu⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/iəu²¹³/
	Chengdu	/iəu³¹/
	Guiyang	/iəu²¹/
	Kunming	/iəu³¹/
	Nanjing	/iəɯ²⁴/
	Hefei	/iɯ⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/iəu¹¹/
	Pingyao	/iəu¹³/
	Hohhot	/iəu³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɦiɤ²³/
	Suzhou	/ɦiɤ¹³/
	Hangzhou	/ɦiø²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/jau³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/iu⁴⁴/
Hui	Tunxi	/iu⁴⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/iəu¹³/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/iəɯ¹²/
Gan	Nanchang	/i⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/iu¹¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/ʒiu¹¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/jɐu²¹/
	Nanning	/jɐu²¹/
	Hong Kong	/jɐu²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/iu³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/ieu⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/iu²¹/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/iu⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ziu³¹/

Middle Chinese: yuw

Rime
Character	由
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	以周切
Baxter	yuw
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jɨu/
Pan Wuyun	/jiu/
Shao Rongfen	/iəu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/juw/
Li Rong	/iu/
Wang Li	/jĭəu/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯ə̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yóu
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jau⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*l[u]/

(Zhengzhang): /*lɯw/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	由
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yóu
Middle Chinese	‹ yuw ›
Old Chinese	/*l[u]/
English	follow; from
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	由
Reading #	1/1
No.	15526
Phonetic component	由
Rime group	幽
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	猷
Old Chinese	/*lɯw/

Definitions

由

cause; reason
緣由／缘由 ― yuányóu ― cause and reason
from
由北到南 ― yóu běi dào nán ― from north to south

由廣州出發／由广州出发 ― yóu Guǎngzhōu chūfā ― to depart from Guangzhou
by; through; via
請由側門出入。／请由侧门出入。 ― Qǐng yóu cèmén chūrù. ― Please enter and exit via the side door.
(done) by
這件事由我來處理吧。 [MSC, trad.]
这件事由我来处理吧。 [MSC, simp.]
Zhè jiàn shì yóu wǒ lái chùlǐ ba. [Pinyin]
Let me handle this matter.
because of; due to
by means of
由此可見／由此可见 ― yóucǐkějiàn ― thus it can be seen

本書由三部分組成。 [MSC, trad.]
本书由三部分组成。 [MSC, simp.]
Běn shū yóu sān bùfēn zǔchéng. [Pinyin]
This book is composed of three parts.
to pass through
必由之路 ― bìyóuzhīlù ― the path that must be taken
to follow; to let one determine
身不由己 ― shēnbùyóujǐ ― to be unable to determine for oneself

由他去吧！ ― Yóu tā qù ba! ― Let him do as he pleases!

由佢自己做啦！ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]
jau^4-2 keoi⁵ zi⁶ gei² zou⁶ laa¹! [Jyutping]
Let him do it by himself!

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (由):

→ Vietnamese: do (由)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 由 – see 甴. (This character is a variant form of 甴).

References

“由”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “由”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 288.

Japanese

Kanji

由

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

cause, reason
from, arising from

Readings

Go-on: ゆ (yu, Jōyō)
Kan-on: ゆう (yū, Jōyō)^{←いう (iu, historical)}
Kan’yō-on: ゆい (yui, Jōyō ^†)
Kun: よし (yoshi, 由, Jōyō)、よる (yoru, 由る)、より (yori, 由り)、なお (nao, 由)

Compounds

Korean

Hanja

由 (eumhun 말미암을 유 (malmiameul yu))

hanja form^? of 유 (“cause; reason”)

Okinawan

Kanji

由

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

On (unclassified): ゆー (yū)

Compounds

自(じ)由(ゆー) (jiyū)

Vietnamese

Han character

由: Hán Nôm readings: do

chữ Hán form of do (“cause; because of; due to”).