特

特 (Kangxi radical 93, 牛+6, 10 strokes, cangjie input 竹手土木戈 (HQGDI), four-corner 2454₁, composition ⿰牛寺)

• 𭉪, 𬌣, 𬃿, 𧎬

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 700, character 20
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 20013
• Dae Jaweon: page 1113, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1808, character 11
• Unihan data for U+7279

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *dɯːɡ): semantic 牛 (“ox”) + phonetic 寺 (OC *ljɯs) – large bull.

There seem to be two main semantic fields: "bull" and "single; unique". It is unclear whether these two fields are related. Schuessler (2007) suggests a possible derivation of "bull" from "match", but "bull" seems to be the earlier sense. The "single; unique" sense could be an extension of "bull" due to its largeness (Li Xueqin, 2012).

In the "bull" sense, it is related to 犆 (OC *dɯɡ, “ox”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Wang (1982) relates the "three-year-animal" sense to 犢 (OC *l'oːɡ, “calf”); see there for more.

In the "single" sense, it is related to 直 (OC *dɯɡ, “simply; only”), 職 (OC *tjɯɡ, “simply; only”) (Schuessler, 2007). Wang (1982) relates it to 徒 (OC *l'aː) and 但 (OC *daːnʔ) in the "only" sense, as well as 獨 (OC *doːɡ, “single”) in the "single" sense, but see these entries for more.

特

1. Senses centering on a meaning of 'bull'
   1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) bull; ox

      • 歸，假于祖禰，用特。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        归，假于祖祢，用特。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

        Guī, jiǎ yú zǔ mí, yòng tè. [Pinyin]

        (When all was done), he returned (to the capital), repaired (to the ancestral temple) and offered a bull.

      • 武都故道縣有怒特祠，云神本南山大梓也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        武都故道县有怒特祠，云神本南山大梓也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: c. early 3^rd century, 曹丕,《列異傳》(Tales of Marvels), translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang

        Wǔdū gùdào xiàn yǒu nù tè cí, yún shén běn nánshān dà zǐ yě. [Pinyin]

        In Wudu County stands the Shrine to the Angry Bull. It is said that this deity was once a giant catalpa tree on the south hill.

   2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) cattle
   3. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese, of animals, especially bull) male
   4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) one domestic animal
   5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) three-year-old animal

      • 不狩不獵，胡瞻爾庭有縣特兮。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
        不狩不猎，胡瞻尔庭有县特兮。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

        Bù shòu bù liè, hú zhān ěr tíng yǒu xuán tè xī. [Pinyin]

        You do not follow the chase;
        How do we see those three-year-olds hanging in your court-yards?

2. Senses of 'specialness'
   1. special; unique; distinguished
   2. specially; intentionally
   3. (colloquial) especially; outstandingly

      今天天特熱。／今天天特热。  ―  Jīntiān tiān tè rè.  ―  It's especially hot today.

   4. short for 特務／特务 (tèwù, “special agent; spy”)
3. Senses of 'singleness'
   1. (literary) single; alone; by oneself
   2. (literary) only; just

      • 嗟乎！孟嘗君特雞鳴狗盜之雄耳，豈足以言得士？ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
        嗟乎！孟尝君特鸡鸣狗盗之雄耳，岂足以言得士？ [Literary Chinese, simp.]

        From: c. mid-11th century, Wang Anshi (王安石), After Reading the Biography of Lord Mengchang（《讀孟嘗君傳》）

        Jiēhū! Mèngchángjūn tè jīmínggǒudào zhī xióng ěr, qǐ zúyǐ yán déshì? [Pinyin]

        Alas! Lord Mengchang was merely the chieftain of those who crowed like cocks and stole like dogs! How could he be said to be capable of attracting scholars to his circle?

   3. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) match; mate; spouse

      • 髧彼兩髦，實維我特。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
        髧彼两髦，实维我特。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

        Dàn bǐ liǎng máo, shí wéi wǒ tè. [Pinyin]

        With his two tufts of hair falling over his forehead,
        He was my only one.

4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to stand tall
5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) in vain
6. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) unexpectedly; yet
7. (Mainland China) short for 特克斯 (tèkèsī, “tex”)
8. a surname

• → Bouyei: dag (“male (of animals); classifier for male animals”)
• → Proto-Southwestern Tai: *tʰɤkᴰ (“young male animal”)
  • Thai: ถึก (tʉ̀k, “young ox; male water buffalo”)
  • Lao: ເຖິກ (thœk, “male (of animals)”)
• → Proto-Vietic: *dək (“male”)
  • Vietnamese: đực (“male (of animal); bull”)
• → Zhuang: daeg (“male (of animals); classifier for young males”)

• “特”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. ox, bull
2. special, exceptional, extraordinary
3. especially

• Go-on: どく (doku)
• Kan-on: とく (toku, Jōyō)
• Kun: おうし (ōshi, 特)、ひとつ (hitotsu, 特つ)、ひとり (hitori, 特り)、ことに (kotoni, 特に)、ことなる (kotonaru, 特なる)、とりわけ (toriwake, 特け)

• 特異(とくい) (tokui)
• 特効薬(とっこうやく) (tokkōyaku)
• 特撮(とくさつ) (tokusatsu)
• 特殊(とくしゅ) (tokushu)
• 特捜(とくそう) (tokusō)
• 特定(とくてい) (tokutei)
• 特別(とくべつ) (tokubetsu)
• 特防(とくぼう) (tokubō)
• 特務(とくむ) (tokumu)
• 独特(どくとく) (dokutoku)

From Middle Chinese 特 (MC dok, “special; male livestock”).

Wikisource

特 (eumhun 특별할 특 (teukbyeolhal teuk))
特 (eumhun 수컷 특 (sukeot teuk))

1. (used in compounds) hanja form^? of 특 (“special; exceptional”)
2. (literary) hanja form^? of 특 (“male animal”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

特: Hán Nôm readings: đặc, đực, đước, được, sệt

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