維

See also: 维

維 U+7DAD, 維 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7DAD ← 綬 [U+7DAC] CJK Unified Ideographs 綮 → [U+7DAE]

Translingual

Han character

維 (Kangxi radical 120, 糸+8, 14 strokes, cangjie input 女火人土 (VFOG), four-corner 2091₄, composition ⿰糹隹)

Derived characters

• 濰, 𮴷, 𫓙, 𬗿, 𬽜, 𡽰, 𬞼, 羅, 𥵻, 𦌴, 𮗈, 𢋘, 𤻕, 𢣘, 䗽

Related characters

• 维 (Simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 927, character 15
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 27568
• Dae Jaweon: page 1364, character 22
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3415, character 5
• Unihan data for U+7DAD

Chinese

trad.		維
simp.		维

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 維
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script

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

	Old Chinese
匯	*ɢʷrɯːlʔ, *kʰʷriːl
擓	*kʰʷriːl
淮	*ɡʷriːl
睢	*qʰʷel, *sqʰʷil, *qʰʷi, *qʰʷils
嶉	*sqʷi
趡	*skʰʷilʔ
踓	*skʰʷilʔ, *ɢʷilʔ
雖	*sqʰʷi
濉	*sqʰʷi
倠	*qʰʷi
婎	*qʰʷil, *qʰʷils
蓶	*ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ
維	*ɢʷi
惟	*ɢʷi
唯	*ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ
濰	*ɢʷi
琟	*ɢʷil
鷕	*ɢʷiʔ, *ɢʷiʔ
帷	*ɢʷril
鵻	*sɢʷinʔ, *tjul

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɢʷi): semantic 糸 (“thread”) + abbreviated phonetic 唯 (OC *ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ).

The original pronunciation of 隹 (OC *ɢʷi) was lost after the classical period, but can still be seen in other characters of the phonetic series:

• 惟 (OC *ɢʷi, “to think”),
• 唯 (OC *ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ, “only”),
• 雖 (OC *sqʰʷi, “although”),
• 帷 (OC *ɢʷril, “curtain, screen”) and
• 淮 (OC *ɡʷriːl, “Huai River”).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): wéi (wei²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): wei²

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): ví / véi

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): wéi

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): wai⁴

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): woi⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): vei³

• Gan (Wiktionary): ui⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): vì

  (Hailu, HRS): vui

  (Meixian, Guangdong): vi²

• Jin (Wiktionary): ui¹
• Northern Min (KCR): ṳ̌
• Eastern Min (BUC): mì
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): bi²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ûi / î / bî

  (Teochew, Peng'im): rui⁶ / rui⁵

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): bhi⁵

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): wai⁴
• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶vi / ²vi
  • (Jinhua): ²vi
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): uei²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wéi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wéi
    • Wade–Giles: wei²
    • Yale: wéi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯³⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: wei²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ui
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uei²¹/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: ví / véi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vi²⁴/, /vei²⁴/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: wéi
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): wei²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uəi²⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wai⁴
    • Yale: wàih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯²¹/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: woi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vɔi²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: vei³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vei²²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ui⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vì
    • Hakka Romanization System: vi^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: vi²
    • Sinological IPA: /vi¹¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: vui
    • Sinological IPA: /vui⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: vi²
    • Sinological IPA: /ʋi¹¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ui¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /uei¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ṳ̌
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: mì
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi⁵³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: bi²
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: bí
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi¹³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: bi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ûi
    • Tâi-lô: uî
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uii
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ui¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ui²³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /ui²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: î
    • Tâi-lô: î
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ii
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /i²³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Taipei): /i²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bî
    • Tâi-lô: bî
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bii
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bi¹³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /bi²⁴/

Note:

• ûi - literary;
• î/bî - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: rui⁶ / rui⁵
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: jŭi / jûi
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /d͡zui³⁵/, /d͡zui⁵⁵/

Note: rui5 - “to think, dimension”.

• • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: bhi⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /bi²²/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: wai⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /βəi²¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶vi
    • MiniDict: vi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³vi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /vi²³/
  • (Northern: Jiading, Songjiang, Chongming, Suzhou, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ²vi
    • MiniDict: vi^平
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /vi³¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /βi³¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /fvi²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /vi²²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /vi¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /vi³¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /vi²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /vi²³¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /vi³¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /vi²²/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ²vi
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /vi³¹³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: uei²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u̯e̞i̯¹³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 維
Mandarin	Beijing	/uei³⁵/
	Harbin	/uei⁴⁴/ ～生素 /uei²⁴/ ～持
	Tianjin	/vei⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/vei⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/ve⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/uei⁵³/
	Xi'an	/vi²⁴/
	Xining	/uɨ²⁴/
	Yinchuan	/vei⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/vei⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/vei⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/uei²¹³/
	Chengdu	/uei³¹/
	Guiyang	/uei²¹/
	Kunming	/uei³¹/
	Nanjing	/uəi²⁴/
	Hefei	/ue⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/uei¹¹/
	Pingyao	/uei¹³/
	Hohhot	/vei³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/vi²³/
	Suzhou	/vi¹³/
	Hangzhou	/ɦui²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/vu³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/ue⁴⁴/
	Tunxi	/ue⁴⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/uei¹³/
	Xiangtan	/uəi¹²/
Gan	Nanchang	/ui⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/vi¹¹/
	Taoyuan	/vui¹¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/wɐi²¹/
	Nanning	/wɐi²¹/
	Hong Kong	/wɐi²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/ui³⁵/ /bi³⁵/ 俗
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/mi⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/y²¹/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/zui⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/vui³¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: ywij

Rime
Character	維
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	脂 (16)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	以追切
Baxter	ywij
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jiuɪ/
Pan Wuyun	/jʷi/
Shao Rongfen	/juɪ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/jwi/
Li Rong	/ui/
Wang Li	/jwi/
Bernhard Karlgren	/wi/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wéi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ɢʷij/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷi/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	維
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wéi
Middle Chinese	‹ ywij ›
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷij/ (? < *ɢʷuj)
English	rope for tying
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	維
Reading #	1/1
No.	12852
Phonetic component	唯
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	惟
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷi/

Definitions

維

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to tie; to fasten; to tie up
2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to link; to connect
3. to hold together; to maintain; to preserve; to safeguard

   維持／维持  ―  wéichí  ―  to maintain

4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) thick rope for tying objects; cord
5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) corner; nook; recess
6. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) net; mesh; netting
7. (geometry) dimension
8. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) order; law; outline
9. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) long and thin object; fibre; string

   纖維／纤维  ―  xiānwéi  ―  fibre

10. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Alternative form of 惟 (wéi, “to think; to contemplate”)
11. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Alternative form of 唯 (“only”)
12. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) (alt. form 惟, 唯) meaningless particle of interjection
13. Used in transcription.

    維德角／维德角  ―  Wéidéjiǎo  ―  Cape Verde

    維珍尼亞／维珍尼亚  ―  Wéizhēnníyà  ―  Virginia

    亞維農／亚维农  ―  Yàwéinóng  ―  Avignon

    維也納／维也纳  ―  Wéiyěnà  ―  Vienna

    維多利亞港／维多利亚港  ―  Wéiduōlìyàgǎng  ―  Victoria Harbor

    維摩詰菩薩／维摩诘菩萨  ―  Wéimójiépúsà  ―  Vimalakirti

    1. Short for 維生素／维生素 (wéishēngsù, “vitamin”).

       維A／维A  ―  wéi-ēi  ―  vitamin A

    2. Short for 維吾爾／维吾尔 (Wéiwú'ěr, “Uyghur”).

       維語／维语  ―  Wéiyǔ  ―  Uyghur language

14. a surname

Compounds

• 三維空間 / 三维空间
• 伏維尚饗 / 伏维尚飨
• 八維 / 八维
• 創業維艱 / 创业维艰
• 哈維 / 哈维
• 四維 / 四维 (sìwéi)
• 國維 / 国维
• 地維 / 地维
• 坤維 / 坤维
• 塞爾維亞 / 塞尔维亚
• 多維 / 多维 (duōwéi)
• 奧維爾 / 奥维尔
• 孟什維克 / 孟什维克 (mèngshíwéikè)
• 屋大維 / 屋大维 (Wūdàwéi)
• 巴勒維 / 巴勒维
• 布干維爾 / 布干维尔 (Bùgānwéi'ěr)
• 思維 / 思维 (sīwéi)
• 恭維 / 恭维 (gōngwéi)
• 恭維話 / 恭维话
• 我武維揚 / 我武维扬
• 拉脫維亞 / 拉脱维亚 (Lātuōwéiyà)
• 新疆維吾爾自治區 / 新疆维吾尔自治区 (Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū)
• 明治維新 / 明治维新 (Míngzhì Wéixīn)
• 步履維艱 / 步履维艰 (bùlǚwéijiān)
• 物力維艱 / 物力维艰
• 玻利維亞 / 玻利维亚 (Bōlìwéiyà)
• 百日維新 / 百日维新 (Bǎirì Wéixīn)
• 睢維 / 睢维
• 維也納 / 维也纳 (Wéiyěnà)
• 維京人 / 维京人 (wéijīngrén)
• 維他命 / 维他命 (wéitāmìng)
• 維修 / 维修 (wéixiū)
• 維吉尼亞 / 维吉尼亚 (Wéijíníyà)
• 維吾爾 / 维吾尔 (Wéiwú'ěr)
• 維基 / 维基 (wéijī)
• 維多米 / 维多米
• 維天之命 / 维天之命
• 維妙維肖 / 维妙维肖 (wéimiàowéixiào)
• 維持 / 维持 (wéichí)
• 維摩經 / 维摩经
• 維摩詰 / 维摩诘
• 維斗
• 維新 / 维新 (wéixīn)
• 維新圖強 / 维新图强
• 維新運動 / 维新运动 (Wéixīn Yùndòng)
• 維清 / 维清
• 維生 / 维生 (wéishēng)
• 維生素 / 维生素 (wéishēngsù)
• 維管束 / 维管束 (wéiguǎnshù)
• 維納斯 / 维纳斯 (Wéinàsī)
• 綱維 / 纲维 (gāngwéi)
• 維縶 / 维絷
• 維繫 / 维系 (wéixì)
• 維艱 / 维艰 (wéijiān)
• 維護 / 维护 (wéihù)
• 維那 / 维那 (wéinà)
• 縶維 / 絷维
• 纖維 / 纤维 (xiānwéi)
• 臭恭維 / 臭恭维
• 臺維斯杯 / 台维斯杯
• 舉步維艱 / 举步维艰 (jǔbùwéijiān)
• 蘇維埃 / 苏维埃 (sūwéi'āi)
• 進退維谷 / 进退维谷 (jìntuìwéigǔ)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yōng (yong¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄩㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jung¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yōng
    • Zhuyin: ㄩㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yong
    • Wade–Giles: yung¹
    • Yale: yūng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iong
    • Palladius: юн (jun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jʊŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jung¹
    • Yale: yūng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jung¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jʊŋ⁵⁵/

Definitions

維

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Only used in 盧維／卢维 (“ancient river in the Yan Province”).

Japanese

Kanji

維

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: ゆい (yui)^{←ゆい (yui, historical)←ゆゐ (yuwi, ancient)}
• Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: つなぐ (tsunagu, 維ぐ)、これ (kore, 維)
• Nanori: しげ (shige)、すみ (sumi)、ただ (tada)、たもつ (tamotsu)、つな (tsuna)、ゆき (yuki)

Usage notes

• Most dictionaries proscribe historical -uwi readings すゐ (suwi), ずゐ (zuwi), つゐ (tuwi), ゆゐ (yuwi), and るゐ (ruwi) as attested in many historical documents.

Compounds

• 維持(いじ) (iji)
• 維新(いしん) (ishin)
• 四維(しい) (shī)
• 繊維(せんい) (sen'i)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
維
い Grade: S
kan'on

/wi/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 維 (MC ywij).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [i]

Affix

維(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. hold together; keep; maintain
2. what holds together; net, supportive

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
維
これ Grade: S
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 維 – see the following entry.

【これ】 [pronoun] this [pronoun] (deictically) this one (near the speaker) [pronoun] (anaphorically) this one I am talking about (only the speaker knows) [pronoun] (archaic) I; me [pronoun] (archaic) you [pronoun] (literary, calque of Literary Chinese 是, 之, 惟, etc.) Repeats the topic with a correct case marker to avoid any misunderstanding if it is not a subject. Alternative spellings 此れ, 是, 之, 惟

(This term, 維, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja

維 (eumhun 벼리 유 (byeori yu))

1. hanja form^? of 유 (“the guide ropes at the edge of a fishing net; fishing net”)

Compounds

• 유지 (維持, yuji, “keep, maintain”)

Vietnamese

Han character

維: Hán Việt readings: duy
維: Nôm readings: duy

1. chữ Hán form of duy (“tie, maintain”).