頭

See also: 头

頭	U+982D, 頭 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-982D

← 頬
[U+982C]

CJK Unified Ideographs

頮 →
[U+982E]

TranslingualEdit

Stroke order

Han characterEdit

頭 (radical 181, 頁+7, 16 strokes, cangjie input 一廿一月金 (MTMBC), four-corner 1118₆, composition ⿰豆頁)

Derived charactersEdit

𭀆, 𫷒, 𢸸, 𤃌, 𨯲, 𡾣, 䕱, 𨷩

Related charactersEdit

头 (Simplified Chinese)

ReferencesEdit

KangXi: page 1404, character 20
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 43490
Dae Jaweon: page 1921, character 13
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4372, character 5
Unihan data for U+982D

ChineseEdit

trad.		頭
simp.		头
alternative forms		䫁𥘖

Wikipedia has articles on:

頭 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
頭 (Cantonese)
thèu (Hakka)
tàu (Min Dong)
thâu (Min Nan)
头 (Wu)

Glyph originEdit

Historical forms of the character 頭
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

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

	Old Chinese
侸	*toː
剅	toː, roː
郖	toː, doːs
鬪	*toːs
鋀	*tʰoː
頭	*doː
豆	*doːs
逗	doːs, dos
痘	*doːs
梪	*doːs
脰	*doːs
荳	*doːs
浢	*doːs
餖	*doːs
毭	*doːs
豎	*djoʔ
裋	*djoʔ
短	*toːnʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *doː): phonetic 豆 (OC *doːs) + semantic 頁 (“head”).

EtymologyEdit

Replaced earlier 首 (MC ɕɨu^X, “head”) due to homophony with 手 (MC ɕɨu^X, “hand”) (Sagart, 1999).

Several etymologies have been proposed:

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d-bu-s (“head”) or its allofam *du (“head”); compare Tibetan དབུ (dbu, “head”), Burmese ဦး (u:, “head”), Sichuan Yi ꀑ (o, “head”), Proto-Loloish *ʔ-du² (“head”) (Benedict, 1972; Schuessler, 2007; STEDT; Starostin).
From Proto-Mon-Khmer *duul() (“to carry on one's head”), whence Khmer ទូល (tuul); this is phonologically plausible since final consonants are often lost after a long vowel in loanwords (Schuessler, 2007).
A variant of 豆 (OC *doːs, “a kind of vessel”), as skulls could have been used as drinking recipients; compare French tête (“head”) from Latin testa (“pot; jug”) and German Kopf (“head”) from Middle High German kopf (“drinking vessel”) (Maréchal, 1994; Sagart, 1999). However, Schuessler (2007) notes that 豆 (OC *doːs) seems like a tone C (去聲) derivation from 頭 (OC *doː), which may have originally meant “skull”.
Baxter and Sagart (2014) reconstructs the Old Chinese with a *m- suffix for human body parts, deriving it from 兜 (OC *toː, “helmet; hood”).

PronunciationEdit

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): tóu, tou (tou², tou⁵)

(Zhuyin): ㄊㄡˊ, ˙ㄊㄡ

(Chengdu, SP): tou²

(Dungan, Cyrillic): ту (tu, I)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): tau⁴, tau^4-2

(Taishan, Wiktionary): heu³, heu^3*
Gan (Wiktionary): teu²
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): thèu

(Meixian, Guangdong): têu²
Jin (Wiktionary): tou¹
Min Bei (KCR): tê
Min Dong (BUC): tàu
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): thâu / thô͘ / thiô / thô

(Teochew, Peng'im): tao⁵
Wu (Wiktionary): deu (T3)
Xiang (Wiktionary): dou²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: tóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄊㄡˊ
  - Wade–Giles: tʻou²
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tour
  - Tongyong Pinyin: tóu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰoʊ̯³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: tou
  - Zhuyin: ˙ㄊㄡ
  - Wade–Giles: tʻou⁵
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: .tou
  - Tongyong Pinyin: to̊u
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰoʊ̯/

Note: tou - suffix.

- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: tou²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: tou
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰəu²¹/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic: ту (tu, I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰou²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: tau⁴, tau^4-2
  - Yale: tàuh, táu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tau⁴, tau^4-2
  - Guangdong Romanization: teo⁴, teo²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɐu̯²¹/, /tʰɐu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

Note: tau4-2 - “leader”.

- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: heu³, heu^3*
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /heu²²/, /heu²²⁻²²⁵/

Note: heu3* - “leader”.

Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: teu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɛu²⁴/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thèu
  - Hakka Romanization System: teuˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: teu²
  - Sinological IPA: /tʰeu̯¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: têu²
  - Sinological IPA: /tʰeu¹¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: tou¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /tʰxəu¹¹/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: tê
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰe³³/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: tàu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰau⁵³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Hsinchu, Lukang, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong, Penang, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thâu
  - Tâi-lô: thâu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: taau
  - IPA (Kaohsiung, Penang): /tʰaʊ²³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰaʊ¹³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kinmen, Singapore): /tʰaʊ²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thô͘
  - Tâi-lô: thôo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: too
  - IPA (Xiamen, Kinmen): /tʰɔ²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰɔ¹³/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Lukang, Sanxia, Hsinchu)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiô
  - Tâi-lô: thiô
  - Phofsit Daibuun: tiooi
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰiɤ²³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Taipei): /tʰio²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Lukang, Sanxia, Yilan, Taichung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thô
  - Tâi-lô: thô
  - Phofsit Daibuun: tooi
  - IPA (Taipei): /tʰo²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰɤ²³/

Note:

thâu - vernacular;
thiô/thô͘ - literary;
thô - only used in 饅頭.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: tao⁵
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: thâu
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰau⁵⁵/

Wu

(Shanghainese)
- Wiktionary: deu (T3)
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /d̻ɜ²³/

Xiang

(Changsha)
- Wiktionary: dou²
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /təu¹³/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 頭
Mandarin	Beijing	/tʰou³⁵/
	Harbin	/tʰou²⁴/
	Tianjin	/tʰou⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/tʰou⁴²/
	Qingdao	/tʰou⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/tʰou⁴²/
	Xi'an	/tʰou²⁴/
	Xining	/tʰɯ²⁴/
	Yinchuan	/tʰəu⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/tʰou⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/tʰɤu⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/tʰəu²¹³/
	Chengdu	/tʰəu³¹/
	Guiyang	/tʰəu²¹/
	Kunming	/tʰəu³¹/
	Nanjing	/tʰəɯ²⁴/
	Hefei	/tʰɯ⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/tʰəu¹¹/
	Pingyao	/təu¹³/ /tʰəu¹³/
	Hohhot	/tʰəu³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/dɤ²³/
	Suzhou	/dɤ¹³/
	Hangzhou	/dei²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/dɤu³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/tʰiu⁴⁴/
Hui	Tunxi	/tʰiu⁴⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/təu¹³/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/dəɯ¹²/
Gan	Nanchang	/tʰɛu²⁴/
Hakka	Meixian	/tʰeu¹¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/tʰeu¹¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/tʰɐu²¹/
	Nanning	/tʰɐu²¹/
	Hong Kong	/tʰɐu²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/tʰɔ³⁵/ /tʰau³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/tʰau⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/tʰe³³/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/tʰau⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/hau³¹/

Middle Chinese: /dəu/

Rime
Character	頭
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	侯 (137)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	度侯切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dəu/
Pan Wuyun	/dəu/
Shao Rongfen	/dəu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dəw/
Li Rong	/du/
Wang Li	/dəu/
Bernard Karlgren	/dʱə̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	tóu

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[m-t]ˤo/

(Zhengzhang): /*doː/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	頭
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	tóu
Middle Chinese	‹ duw ›
Old Chinese	/*[m-t]ˁo/
English	head
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	頭
Reading #	1/1
No.	2465
Phonetic component	豆
Rime group	侯
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	頭
Old Chinese	/*doː/

DefinitionsEdit

頭

(anatomy) head (Classifier: 個／个 m c)
我頭不再痛了。 / 我头不再痛了。 ― Wǒ tóu bùzài tòng le. ― My head doesn't hurt any more.
- 居喪之禮，頭有創則沐，身有瘍則浴。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  居丧之礼，头有创则沐，身有疡则浴。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Book of Rites, circa 4^th – 2^nd century BCE
  Jūsāng zhī lǐ, tóu yǒu chuāng zé mù, shēn yǒu yáng zé yù. [Pinyin]
  According to the same rules, if he have a scab on his head, he should wash it; if he have a sore on his body, he should bathe it.
- 我又要叫你和女人彼此為仇；你的後裔和女人的後裔也彼此為仇。女人的後裔要傷你的頭；你要傷他的腳跟。 [MSC, trad.]
  我又要叫你和女人彼此为仇；你的后裔和女人的后裔也彼此为仇。女人的后裔要伤你的头；你要伤他的脚跟。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 新標點和合本 (Chinese Union Version with New Punctuation), 創世記 (Genesis) 3:15
  Wǒ yòu yào jiào nǐ hé nǚrén bǐcǐ wéi chóu; nǐ de hòuyì hé nǚrén de hòuyì yě bǐcǐ wéi chóu. Nǚrén de hòuyì yào shāng nǐ de tóu; nǐ yào shāng tā de jiǎogēn. [Pinyin]
  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
hair; hairstyle
洗頭 / 洗头 ― xǐtóu ― to wash one's hair
top; tip; end
chief; boss; leader (person that leads or directs)
remnant; end
Classifier for livestock. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier
我有兩頭豬。 / 我有两头猪。 ― Wǒ yǒu liǎng tóu zhū. ― I have two pigs.
(dialectal) Classifier for other animals.
(Min Bei) Classifier for flowers.
first; leading
(Hakka, Min Nan, dated in Mainland China) station
車頭 / 车头 [Hokkien] ― chhia-thâu [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― train station
Diminutive suffix.

JapaneseEdit

KanjiEdit

頭

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

head
counter for large animals

ReadingsEdit

Go-on: ず (zu, Jōyō)^{←づ (du, historical)}
Kan-on: とう (tō, Jōyō)^{←とう (tou, historical)}
Tō-on: じゅう (jū)^{←ぢゆう (dyū, historical)}
Kan’yō-on: と (to, Jōyō ^†)
Kun: あたま (atama, 頭, Jōyō); かしら (kashira, 頭, Jōyō); かぶり (kaburi, 頭); こうべ (kōbe, 頭)^{←かうべ (kaube, historical)}
Nanori: かぶ (kabu); かぶし (kabushi); かみ (kami); ちゃん (chan); つぶり (tsuburi); つむ (tsumu); つむり (tsumuri); づ (zu); どたま (dotama)

CompoundsEdit

See 頭/derived terms § Kanji.

Etymology 1Edit

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

頭

Wikipedia ^ja

Kanji in this term
頭
あたま Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Probably from Old Japanese. First cited in the ten-volume Wamyō Ruijushō of 934 C.E..^[1]

Unknown derivation. Theories include:

Compound of 天玉 (a tama, literally “heaven, sky + ball”). This is problematic phonetically, as 天 appears historically as ama or ame, not as just a
Compound of 当て間 (ate ma, literally “putting something in contact + space, gap”), referring to the head as a moxibustion point. This is also problematic phonetically, as the shift from ate to ata necessitates a change in meaning of the underlying verb. This is also problematic semantically, as the 間 (ma) term refers more specifically to a gap or space.
Compound of 貴間 (ate ma, literally “noble + space”), referring to the most important part of the body. However, the use of 間 (ma) in this way is again problematic. Moreover, 貴 (ate, “noble”) appears in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter dating to the 900s CE, while 頭 (atama) with a sense of fontanelle appears in the Wamyō Ruijushō dated 938 CE, leaving insufficient time for either the semantic or phonetic drift required.^[1]^[2]

Historically, this term first appears with a sense of fontanelle, in reference to the soft place on the top of an infant's head where the bones of the skull have not yet fused. As such, a more likely derivation might be as a compound of 当た (ata, “not quite touching, not quite in contact”, possibly a fossilized 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of classical verb 当つ (atsu), root of modern 当たる (ataru, “to touch, to come into contact”)) +‎ 間 (ma, “space, gap, opening”).

PronunciationEdit

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) あたま [àtámáꜜ] (Odaka – [3])^[2]^[3]
(Tokyo) あたま [àtáꜜmà] (Nakadaka – [2])^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key): [a̠ta̠ma̠]

Japanese number-counter combinations for 頭(とう) (tō)
1	2	3	4	5
一(いっ)頭(とう) (ittō)	二(に)頭(とう) (nitō)	三(さん)頭(とう) (santō)	四(よん)頭(とう) (yontō)	五(ご)頭(とう) (gotō)
6	7	8	9	10
六(ろく)頭(とう) (rokutō)	七(なな)頭(とう) (nanatō) 七(しち)頭(とう) (shichitō)	八(はっ)頭(とう) (hattō) 八(はち)頭(とう) (hachitō)	九(きゅう)頭(とう) (kyūtō)	十(じゅっ)頭(とう) (juttō) 十(じっ)頭(とう) (jittō)
100	1,000	10,000	How many?
百(ひゃく)頭(とう) (hyakutō)	千(せん)頭(とう) (sentō)	一(いち)万(まん)頭(とう) (ichimantō)	何(なん)頭(とう) (nantō)

頭

TranslingualEdit