U+5357, 南
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5357

[U+5356]
CJK Unified Ideographs
[U+5358]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

(Kangxi radical 24, 十+7, 9 strokes, cangjie input 十月廿十 (JBTJ), four-corner 40227, composition 𢆉)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 157, character 5
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 2750
  • Dae Jaweon: page 357, character 8
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 65, character 2
  • Unihan data for U+5357

Chinese

simp. and trad.
2nd round simp. ⿱十冂

Glyph origin

This character has been explained as a pictogram (象形) of a hanging percussion instrument (bell), originally identical to the left side of 㱿. Under this hypothesis its borrowing for the word “south” is difficult to explain.

Sagart (1988) instead proposes that it is a pictogram of the front of a house. Archaeological evidence confirms that in antiquity, at least in some regions, houses were built to face south.

Etymology 1

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-nam (sky, sun) (STEDT; Schuessler (2007); Benedict (1972)); the south is traditionally associated with the sun & light, compare (OC *laŋ, “light, sun-lit south-side of a hill”).

If so, cognate with Tibetan གནམ (gnam, sky), ནམ (nam, night), Tshangla ngam (sun, noon, day, sky), Chepang न्‍याम् (nyam, sun, sunlight, storm-cloud, weather).

Alternatively, Sagart (2004) relates this word to Old Chinese *nɨm (revised to *nˤ[ə]m in 2014) "belly, front of the body", further "south" to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-nam (rib(s)), as one term for one body-part often shifts its meaning to another body-part nearby.

If so, is cognate with (OC *njɯms, “to carry inside one's belly → to be pregnant”), (OC *njɯm, *njɯms, “to carry a burden, especially in front of the body”), also (OC *nuːmʔ, “belly (of an ox)”), Southern Pumi nõ⁵⁵, Burmese နံရိုး (nam-rui:, side of the body, rib), and thus is a semantic counterpart to (OC *pɯːɡ, “north”), which is related to (OC *pɯːɡs, *bɯːɡs, “back of the body”).

Pronunciation


Note:
  • lam5 - Chaozhou, Raoping;
  • nam5 - Shantou, Chaoyang, Jieyang;
  • nang5 - Chenghai.
Note:
  • Jinhua:
    • 2noe - vernacular;
    • 2nan - literary.
    • Xiang
      • (Changsha)
        • Wiktionary: lan2
        • Sinological IPA (key): /l̃an¹³/
      • (Loudi)
        • Wiktionary: nann2
        • Sinological IPA (key): /nã̠¹³/
      • (Hengyang)
        • Wiktionary: nan2
        • Sinological IPA (key): /nan¹¹/

    • Dialectal data
    Variety Location
    Mandarin Beijing /nan³⁵/
    Harbin /nan²⁴/
    Tianjin /nan⁴⁵/
    Jinan /nã⁴²/
    Qingdao /nã⁴²/
    Zhengzhou /nan⁴²/
    Xi'an /nã²⁴/
    Xining /nã²⁴/
    Yinchuan /nan⁵³/
    Lanzhou /lɛ̃n⁵³/
    Ürümqi /nan⁵¹/
    Wuhan /nan²¹³/
    Chengdu /nan³¹/
    Guiyang /nan²¹/
    Kunming /nã̠³¹/
    Nanjing /laŋ²⁴/
    Hefei /læ̃⁵⁵/
    Jin Taiyuan /næ̃¹¹/
    Pingyao /nɑŋ¹³/
    Hohhot /næ̃³¹/
    Wu Shanghai /nø²³/
    Suzhou /nø¹³/
    Hangzhou /nẽ̞²¹³/
    Wenzhou /nø³¹/
    Hui Shexian /lɛ⁴⁴/
    Tunxi /lɔ⁴⁴/
    Xiang Changsha /lan¹³/
    Xiangtan /nan¹²/
    Gan Nanchang /lan⁴⁵/
    Hakka Meixian /nam¹¹/
    Taoyuan /nɑm¹¹/
    Cantonese Guangzhou /nam²¹/
    Nanning /nam²¹/
    Hong Kong /nam²¹/
    Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /lam³⁵/
    Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /naŋ⁵³/
    Jian'ou (Northern Min) /naŋ³³/
    Shantou (Teochew) /nam⁵⁵/
    Haikou (Hainanese) /nam³¹/

    Rime
    Character
    Reading # 1/1
    Initial () (8)
    Final () (159)
    Tone (調) Level (Ø)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division () I
    Fanqie
    Baxter nom
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang
    /nʌm/
    Pan
    Wuyun
    /nəm/
    Shao
    Rongfen
    /nɒm/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank
    /nəm/
    Li
    Rong
    /nᴀm/
    Wang
    Li
    /nɒm/
    Bernhard
    Karlgren
    /năm/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex
    nán
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex
    naam4
    BaxterSagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character
    Reading # 1/1
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)
    nán
    Middle
    Chinese
    ‹ nom ›
    Old
    Chinese
    /*nˁ[ə]m/
    English south

    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
    Reading # 1/1
    No. 9355
    Phonetic
    component
    Rime
    group
    Rime
    subdivision
    2
    Corresponding
    MC rime
    Old
    Chinese
    /*nuːm/

    Definitions

    1. south; southern

    Coordinate terms

    compass points: 方位 (fāngwèi):  [edit]

    西北 (xīběi) 東北 / 东北 (dōngběi)
    西 ()  / (dōng)
    西南 (xīnán) 東南 / 东南 (dōngnán)

    Descendants

    Sino-Xenic ():
    • Japanese: (なん) (nan)
    • Okinawan: (なん) (nan)
    • Korean: 남(南) (nam)
    • Vietnamese: nam ()

    Others:

    • Japanese: (ナン) (nan, south wind (mahjong tile))

    Compounds

    Etymology 2

    Pronunciation


    Definitions

    1. only used in 南無南无 (nāmó)

    References

    Japanese

    Kanji

    (Second grade kyōiku kanji)

    Readings

    • Go-on: なん (nan, Jōyō)なん (nan, historical)なむ (namu, ancient)
    • Kan-on: だん (dan)だん (dan, historical)だむ (damu, ancient)
    • Kan’yō-on: (na, Jōyō )
    • Kun: みなみ (minami, , Jōyō)
    • Nanori: あけ (ake)なみ (nami) (ha)みな (mina)みまみ (mimami)よし (yoshi)

    Compounds

    Etymology 1

    Kanji in this term
    みなみ
    Grade: 2
    kun'yomi

    ⟨mi1nami1 → */mʲinamʲɨ//minami/

    From Old Japanese.

    Pronunciation

    (Can we verify(+) this pronunciation?)

    • (Kyoto) なみ [míꜜnàmì] (Atamadaka – [1])
    • IPA(key): [mʲina̠mʲi]

    Noun

    (みなみ) • (minami

    1. the south (cardinal point)
      • c. 762, Shōsōin Man'yōgana Monjo[3]
        和可夜之奈比乃可波利爾波(わがやしなひのかはりには)於保末之末須(おほまします)美奈美(みなみ)乃末知奈流(のまちなる)(やつこ)乎宇氣與止(をうけよと)... [Man'yōgana]
        ()(やしな)ひの(かは)りには、おほ()します、(みなみ)(まち)なる(やつこ)()けよと... [Modern spelling]
        waga yashinai no kawari ni wa, ōmashimasu, minami no machi naru yatsuko o ukeyo to...
        (please add an English translation of this example)
      Antonym: (kita)
    2. a southerly, south wind
      Synonym: 南風 (minamikaze, hae)
      Antonym: (kita)
    Coordinate terms

    compass points: 方角 (hōgaku):  [edit]

    北西 (hokusei)
    西北 (seihoku)
    (kita) 北東 (hokutō)
    東北 (tōhoku)
    西 (nishi) (higashi)
    西南 (seinan)
    南西 (nansei)
    (minami) 東南 (tōnan)
    南東 (nantō)
    Derived terms

    Proper noun

    (みなみ) or (ミナミ) • (Minami

    1. (historical) the red-light district in modern-day Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo (as it was located south of Edo Castle)
    2. the name of a ward in various cities throughout Japan, especially a former ward in the city of Osaka which is now part of Chūō Ward
    3. a male given name
    4. a female given name
    5. a surname

    Verb

    (みなみ)する • (minami surusuru (stem (みなみ) (minami shi), past (みなみ)した (minami shita))

    1. (archaic) to go south
      • 1789, Seikashū (haikai by Takai Kitō)
        紅楓(もみぢ)(ふか)し、みなみし西(にし)す、(みづ)(すみ)
        momiji fukashi, minami shi nishi su, mizu no sumi
        (please add an English translation of this example)
    Conjugation

    Etymology 2

    Kanji in this term
    みんなみ
    Grade: 2
    irregular

    /minami//minːami/

    Appears in The Pillow Book, completed in 1002.

    Alteration of minami.[1]

    Pronunciation

    • (Tokyo) んなみ [mìńnámí] (Heiban – [0])[2]
    • IPA(key): [mʲĩnːa̠mʲi]

    Noun

    (みんなみ) • (minnami

    1. (archaic) the south

    Proper noun

    (みんなみ) • (Minnami

    1. (historical, archaic) the red-light district in modern-day Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo

    Etymology 3

    Kanji in this term
    なん
    Grade: 2
    goon

    /namʉ//naɴ/

    From Middle Chinese (MC nom).

    Noun

    (なん) • (nan

    1. the south
      Synonym: 南方 (nanpō)
    2. short for 南鐐 (nanryō): beautiful silver; a type of silver coin in the Edo period
    Derived terms
    • (なん)(なん)西(せい) (nan-nansei)
    • (なん)(なん)(とう) (nan-nantō)

    Affix

    (なん) • (nan

    1. south, southern
    2. Used in Sanskrit transliterations
    Derived terms

    Proper noun

    (なん) • (Nan

    1. a female given name
    2. a surname

    Etymology 4

    Kanji in this term
    なん
    Grade: 2
    irregular

    From Mandarin (nán).

    Noun

    (ナン) • (nan

    1. (mahjong) south wind (mahjong tile)
      Hypernym: 風牌 (kazehai, fanpai)
    2. (mahjong) a (yaku, winning hand) with a triplet or quad of south wind tiles; depending on wind round and player's seat wind, it is worth either 1 or 2 (han, doubles)
      Hypernym: 役牌 (yakuhai, yaku-pai)
    Coordinate terms

    Etymology 5

    Kanji in this term
    みなん
    Grade: 2
    irregular

    Shift from standard Japanese minami, dropping the final vowel and keeping the nasal.

    • /minami//minaɴ/

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): [mʲinã̠ɴ]

    Noun

    (みなん) • (minan

    1. (dialect, Kagoshima) south (cardinal point)

    References

    1. 1.0 1.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
    2. 2.0 2.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
    3. ^ Takeuchi, Rizō (1962) Nara Ibun: Volume 3 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō Shuppan, →ISBN.

    Korean

    Etymology 1

    From Middle Chinese (MC nom).

    Historical Readings
    Dongguk Jeongun Reading
    Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 (Yale: nàm)
    Middle Korean
    Text Eumhun
    Gloss (hun) Reading
    Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2] (Yale: àlp) (Yale: nàm)
    Sinjeung Yuhap, 1576 (Yale: namnyek)
    (Yale: alp)
    (Yale: nam)

    Pronunciation

    Hanja

    Wikisource

    (eumhun 남녘 (namnyeok nam))

    1. hanja form? of (south; southern)

    Compounds

    Etymology 2

    Pronunciation

    Hanja

    (eumhun 나무 (namu na))

    1. hanja form? of (Only used in 나무 (南無, namu))

    References

    • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전/電子字典. [3]

    Okinawan

    Alternative forms

    Kanji in this term
    ふぇー
    Grade: 2
    kun'yomi

    Kanji

    (Second grade kyōiku kanji)

    Readings

    • On (unclassified): なん (nan, Jōyō)
    • Kun: ふぇー (, )

    Compounds

    Etymology

    Cognate to Yonaguni (hai, south, southerly) and western Japanese 南風 (hae, southerly winds).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    (ふぇー) (

    1. the south (cardinal point)
    2. a southerly (wind blowing from the south)

    Derived terms

    References

    Old Japanese

    Etymology

    Noun

    (mi1nami1) (kana みなみ)

    1. the south (cardinal point)
      • Shosoin document, text here
        和可夜之奈比乃、可波利爾波、於保末之末須、美奈美乃末知奈流奴乎、宇気与止
        wa ga yasinapi₁ no₂, kapari ni pa, opo masimasu mi₁nami₁ no₂ mati naru nu wo, uke₂ yo₂ to₂
        (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    2. a southerly (wind blowing from the south)
      • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 18, poem 4106:
        ...吹雪消益而射水河流水沫能余留弊奈美...
        ...mi1nami1 puki1 yuki1ke2 *masarite Imi1du-gapa nagaru mi1nawa no2 yo2ru pe1 nami1...
        (please add an English translation of this quotation)

    Usage notes

    Also used in the Man'yōshū (759 CE) as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨na⟩ and 借訓 (shakkun) kana for ⟨namu⟩.

    Descendants

    • Japanese: (minami)

    Tày

    Noun

    (nam)

    1. Nôm form of nam (south).

    References

    • Dương Nhật Thanh, Hoàng Tuấn Nam (2003) Hoàng Triều Ân, editor, Từ điển chữ Nôm Tày [A Dictionary of (chữ) Nôm Tày]‎[4] (in Tày and Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học xã hội [Social Sciences Publishing House]

    Vietnamese

    Han character

    : Hán Nôm readings: nam

    Adjective

    • (nam)

    1. chữ Hán form of nam (south, southern)

    Coordinate terms

    compass points:  [edit]

    tây bắc (西北) bắc () đông bắc (東北)
    tây (西) đông ()
    tây nam (西南) nam () đông nam (東南)

    References

    Yonaguni

    Kanji

    (Second grade kyōiku kanji)

    Readings

    Etymology

    Cognate to Okinawan (, south, southerly) and western Japanese 南風 (hae, southerly winds).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): [hai]

    Noun

    (はい) (hai

    1. the south (cardinal point)
    2. a southerly (wind blowing from the south)

    References

    Zhuang

    Noun

    1. Sawndip form of namz