秀才
Chinese edit
to ear; beautiful; elegant to ear; beautiful; elegant; outstanding; to show; to display; show |
ability; talent; endowment ability; talent; endowment; gift; an expert; only (then); only if; just | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (秀才) | 秀 | 才 | |
simp. #(秀才) | 秀 | 才 |
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
秀才
- (historical) licentiate (scholar who has passed the entry-level examination to study at a college) [from the Ming-Qing dynasties]
- (historical) person recommended for a government post by a provincial governor [prior to 605]
- (by extension) scholar; intellectual; person of knowledge
- (Philippine Hokkien, dice games) a dice roll with one face of four in a Mooncake Festival Dice Game
- Synonym: 一秀
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
Sino-Xenic (秀才):
Others
- → English: xiucai
Japanese edit
Etymology 1 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
秀 | 才 |
しゅう Grade: S |
さい Grade: 2 |
kan’on |
/sɨusai/ → /ɕɨusai/ → /ɕuːsai/
Appears already in texts from 718 CE.[1]
From Middle Chinese 秀才 (MC sjuwH dzoj, literally “outstanding + ability, talent”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
- (historical) in the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system of ancient Japan, one of the subjects in the examination to enter the civil service
- (historical) in the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system of ancient Japan, someone who has passed such an examination
- (historical) a xiucai, licentiate (scholar who has passed the entry-level examination to study at a college) [from the Ming-Qing dynasties]
- (historical) a person recommended for a government post by a provincial governor
- (by extension) a scholar, intellectual, person of knowledge
- (by extension) a prodigy, a brilliant person
Usage notes edit
The brilliant person sense is the most common sense in modern usage.
Derived terms edit
- 菅秀才 (Kan Shūsai, eldest son of Sugawara no Michizane in a jōruri narrative)
Etymology 2 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
秀 | 才 |
しゅう > す Grade: S |
さい Grade: 2 |
irregular | kan’on |
/sɨusai/ → /susai/
Shift in reading of historical siusai reading.[1][2][3] Appears in the Utsubo Monogatari of 970–999 CE.[1]
This reading appears to be obsolete in modern Japanese.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
- (historical, obsolete) in the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system of ancient Japan, one of the subjects in the examination to enter the civil service
- (historical, obsolete) in the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system of ancient Japan, someone who has passed such an examination
References edit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN