末

末 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 木十 (DJ), four-corner 5090₀, composition ⿻一木)

• 㭆, 㭐, 茉, 唜
• 妺, 帓, 抹, 沫, 昩, 枺, 㶬, 䏞, 皌, 眜, 砞, 秣, 袜, 粖, 䍪, 靺, 韎, 䬴, 䱅(𱇚), 䴲

• ま
• マ

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 509, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14420
• Dae Jaweon: page 891, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1150, character 2
• Unihan data for U+672B

Ideogram (指事): a tree (木) with its top highlighted with an extra stroke, implying the meaning of “apex”; contrast 本, 朱.

末

1. tip; treetop

   末梢  ―  mòshāo  ―  tip; end

   • 明足以察秋毫之末，而不見輿薪。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     明足以察秋毫之末，而不见舆薪。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Míng zúyǐ chá qiūháo zhī mò, ér bùjiàn yúxīn. [Pinyin]

     [M]y eyesight is sharp enough to examine the point of an autumn hair, but I do not see a cart-load of firewood.

2. (by extension) effect; result

   本末  ―  běnmò  ―  cause and effect

3. late or the last stage; conclusion; close

   Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)

   月末  ―  yuèmò  ―  month-end

   明末清初  ―  Míng mò Qīng chū  ―  late-Ming and early-Qing era

   文末提到  ―  wén mò tídào  ―  Toward the end of the article, it was mentioned…

4. final; the last; concluding; closing; terminal

   Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)

   末代  ―  mòdài  ―  the last (in one's lineage)

   末日  ―  mòrì  ―  doomsday; apocalypse

   末法時期／末法时期  ―  mò fǎ shíqī  ―  Dharma-ending age

5. insignificant; trivial; inferior; low-priority; low-class

   捨本逐末／舍本逐末  ―  shěběnzhúmò  ―  pursuing the unimportant while neglecting the essential

   • 此大會也，曷為末言爾？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     此大会也，曷为末言尔？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE

     Cǐ dàhuì yě, héwèi mò yán ěr? [Pinyin]

     This was an important convention; why was it framed with words suggesting insignificance?

6. powder; fine particulate matter

   粉末  ―  fěnmò  ―  powder

7. (literary, dated) not; none; no (negative indicator)

   Synonyms: 未 (wèi), 莫, 無 / 无

   • 雖欲從之，末由也已。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     虽欲从之，末由也已。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Suī yù cóng zhī, mò yóu yě yǐ. [Pinyin]

     Though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so.

   • 子曰：「不曰『如之何如之何』者，吾末如之何也已矣。」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐyuē: “Bù yuē ‘rúzhīhé rúzhīhé’ zhě, wú mò rúzhīhé yě yǐ yǐ.” [Pinyin]

     The Master said, "When a man is not in the habit of saying, 'What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?' I can indeed do nothing with him."

   • 末不亦樂乎堯舜之知君子也？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     末不亦乐乎尧舜之知君子也？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE

     Mò bùyì lèhū Yáoshùn zhī zhī Jūnzǐ yě? [Pinyin]

     Is it not (literally, a double negative) also a joyful truth, that the ancient sages like Yao and Shun had known that a Noble One would go on to keep their teachings alive?

8. mo (a category of male roles in traditional Chinese theatre and opera)

末

1. Same as 麼／么 (me).

末 (Northern Wu)

1. Used to mark a conditional subordinate clause.

   要是儂一家頭拿勿到末，叫個人來幫忙。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
   要是侬一家头拿勿到末，叫个人来帮忙。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

   ⁵iau-zy ⁶non ⁷iq-ka-deu ⁶nau-veq-tau-meq ⁵ciau-gheq ⁶gnin ⁶le ¹paon-maon [Wugniu]

   If you can’t carry it on your own, ask for someone to help.

   • 2007, 钱乃荣 [Qian Nairong], 上海话大词典 [Shànghǎihuà dàcídiǎn], 上海辞书出版社, page 309:

     儂勿去蘇州末，要告訴我一聲。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
     侬勿去苏州末，要告诉我一声。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

     ⁶non ⁸veq-chi ¹su-tseu-meq ⁵iau ⁵kau-su ⁶ngu ⁷iq-san [Wugniu]

     If you're not going to Suzhou, let me know.

2. Used to mark the topic in a topic-comment construction.
   • 2007, 钱乃荣 [Qian Nairong], 上海话大词典 [Shànghǎihuà dàcídiǎn], 上海辞书出版社, page 309:

     新衣裳末，我已經買了兩件。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
     新衣裳末，我已经买了两件。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

     ¹shi-i-zaon-meq ⁶ngu ⁵i-cin ⁶ma-leq ⁶lian-ci [Wugniu]

     As for the new clothes, I've already bought two of them.

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. tip, top
2. end, terminal

• Go-on: まっ (ma')、まつ (matsu, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: ばつ (batsu, Jōyō)
• Kun: うら (ura, 末)、うれ (ure, 末)、おわり (owari, 末わり)^{←をはり (wofari, 末はり, historical)}、すえ (sue, 末, Jōyō)^{←すゑ (suwe, 末, historical)}

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712.^[1]

• (Tokyo) すえ [sùé] (Heiban – [0])^[2][3][4]
• IPA^(key): [sɨe̞]

末(すえ) • (sue) ^{←すゑ (suwe)?}

1. [from 720] the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot

      Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)

   2. a treetop

      Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

2. [from 712] the tip or end of something

   Synonyms: 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)

3. [from 720] the top or peak of a mountain

   Synonyms: 頂 (itadaki), 山頂 (sanchō)

4. [from 1205] the edge or verge of a road or field

   Synonym: 外れ (hazure)

5. [from early 1000s] a descendant

   Synonyms: 足末 (anasue), 子孫 (shison)

6. [from 720] the future, later, after

   Synonyms: (future) 未来 (mirai), (future) 将来 (shōrai), (later) 後 (nochi)

7. [from early 800s] the end of a period of time

   Synonyms: 終わり (owari), 末期 (makki)

8. [from early 1000s] (by extension) old age, the end period of a lifetime

   Synonym: 晩年 (bannen, literally “evening years”)

9. [from 1435] (by extension) a degraded world, a world with low morals and corrupt politics

   Synonym: 末の世 (sue no yo)

10. [from late 1500s] the end of a month, the latter third of a month

    Synonym: 下旬 (gejun)

11. [from early 1000s] some time considerably later
12. [from early 1000s] the result, outcome, or trace, remains of something having been done

    Synonyms: (result) 結果 (kekka), 名残 (nagori, “trace, remains”)

    思(おも)い悩(なや)んだ末(すえ)

    omoinayanda sue

    at the end of deliberation

13. [from 1120] the direction in which someone has gone or will go

    Synonym: 方向 (hōkō)

14. [from early 1000s] the youngest or last child

    Synonym: 末子 (sueko)

15. [from early 1000s] youth, childhood

    Synonym: 幼少 (yōshō)

16. [from early 1000s] the lowest seat, the seat at the foot of a table; the lowest rank

    Synonyms: 末座 (matsuza), 末席 (masseki), 下座 (shimoza)

17. [from early 900s] the last two seven-mora stanzas or lines of a 短歌 (tanka) poem

    Synonyms: 下の句 (shimo no ku), 下句 (shimoku)

18. [from early 1000s] the end of a sentence or word

    Synonyms: (of a sentence) 文末 (bunmatsu), (of a word) 語尾 (gobi)

19. [from mid-1000s] the latter portion of a book or serial

    Synonym: 後編 (kōhen)

20. [from 1182] the origin, the starting point

    Synonyms: (origin) 元 (moto), (starting point) 起点 (kiten)

21. [from 1435] (historical) the interior rooms of a palace or manor where maids worked; a maid who worked in such a household

    Synonym: 御末 (osue)

22. [from 1682] a low class or grade; an item of low class or grade

    Synonyms: (low class or grade) 下級 (kakyū), (item of low class or grade) 下級品 (kakyūhin), (low class or grade) 下等 (katō), (item of low class or grade) 下等品 (katōhin)

23. [unknown] something minor, a trifle
24. [from 1179] downstream

    Synonyms: 川下 (kawashita), 下流 (karyū)

25. [from late 800s] (kagura, music) in a 神楽 (kagura) performance, the seats on the right side facing the altar or shrine; the performers playing in these seats

    Synonym: 末方 (suekata)

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɾa̠]

末(うら) • (ura) 

1. [from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot

      Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)

   2. a treetop

      Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

2. [from late 1500s] (archaic) the tip or end of something

   Synonyms: 末 (sue), 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɾe̞]

末(うれ) • (ure) 

1. [from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot

      Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)

   2. a treetop

      Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

From Middle Chinese 末 (MC mat).

First attested in Japanese in 1120.^[1]

末(まつ) • (matsu) 

1. [from 1120] powder

   Synonyms: 粉 (kona), 粉末 (funmatsu)

2. [from 1804] (theater) in traditional Chinese theater, an extra, a minor part

   Synonym: (extra or minor part in any theatrical tradition) 端役 (hayaku)

末(まつ) • (-matsu) 

1. [from at least 1911] the end of a period of time

• Appendix:Gikun_Usage_in_Meiji_Version_of_Japanese_Bible/苗裔

末 (eumhun 끝 말 (kkeut mal))

1. (끝): the end, last, low
2. (가루): flour, powder
3. (허드레): something coarse, improper, inferior, trivial
   • 1431: 鄕藥採取月令^[1] 十二月 (향약채취월령 십이월, hyang-yag-chaechwi-wolryeong sib-iwol):

     芰實鄕名末栗'"`UNIQ-ref00000069QINU`"' '"`UNIQ-ref0000006AQINU`"' (기실향명말밤, gisilhyangmyeongmalbam, "The folk name of the water caltrop fruit is coarse chestnut.")

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

末: Hán Nôm readings: mạt, mất, mặt, mết, mệt, mượt

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.