倭

倭 U+502D, 倭 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-502D ← 倬 [U+502C] CJK Unified Ideographs 倮 → [U+502E]

Translingual

Han character

倭 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+8, 10 strokes, cangjie input 人竹木女 (OHDV), four-corner 2224₄, composition ⿰亻委)

Derived characters

• 䔀, 𬕥

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 109, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 796
• Dae Jaweon: page 232, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 179, character 8
• Unihan data for U+502D
• Shuowen Jiezi: volume 15, page 46, character 18

Chinese

trad.		倭
simp. #		倭

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 倭
Small seal script s05700 Transcribed ancient scripts L34578
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

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

	Old Chinese
矮	*qraːlʔ
躷	*qraːlʔ
捼	*noːl, *nuːl, *njul
倭	*qoːl, *qoːlʔ, *qrol
涹	*qoːl
踒	*qoːl
餧	*nuːlʔ, *qrols
諉	*nols, *qrolʔ
痿	*njol, *qrol
萎	*qrol, *qrols
逶	*qrol
覣	*qrol
蜲	*qrol, *qrolʔ
委	*qrol, *qrolʔ
緌	*njul

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qoːl, *qoːlʔ, *qrol) : semantic 人 + phonetic 委 (OC *qrol, *qrolʔ).

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Various theories suggest that 倭 was influenced by Old Japanese 我 (wa, “I, me”) or referring to the practice of bowing among the ancient Japanese.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wō (wo¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄛ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wo¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): vô
• Eastern Min (BUC): uŏ
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): e / oe
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹u

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wō
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄛ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wo
    • Wade–Giles: wo¹
    • Yale: wō
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uo
    • Palladius: во (vo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wo¹
    • Yale: wō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wo¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wo¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔː⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vô
    • Hakka Romanization System: vo^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: vo¹
    • Sinological IPA: /vo²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: uŏ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uo⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: e
    • Tâi-lô: e
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ef
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /e³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /e⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: oe
    • Tâi-lô: ue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: oef
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ue³³/

Note:

• e - vernacular;
• oe - literary.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹u
    • MiniDict: u^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹u
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /u⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'wa

Rime
Character	倭
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	烏禾切
Baxter	'wa
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔuɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔuɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔuɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔwa/
Li Rong	/ʔuɑ/
Wang Li	/uɑ/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔuɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wō
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wo1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*qoːl/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	倭
Reading #	1/3
No.	12888
Phonetic component	委
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	倭
Old Chinese	/*qoːl/
Notes	見漢書

Definitions

倭

1. (historical, now derogatory) Japan; Yamato
2. (in some animal names) dwarf; pygmy

   倭蛙  ―  wōwā  ―  Nanorana pleskei

   倭河馬／倭河马  ―  wōhémǎ  ―  pygmy hippopotamus

   倭黑猩猩  ―  wōhēixīngxīng  ―  bonobo; pygmy chimpanzee

Synonyms

• (Japan):

edit

• 11區／11区 (shíyī-qū) (Internet slang)
• 日本 (Rìběn)
• 日本國／日本国 (Rìběnguó) (official)
• 東洋／东洋 (Dōngyáng) (archaic)
• 東瀛／东瀛 (Dōngyíng) (literary, poetic)
• 鄉下／乡下 (hoeng1 haa6-2) (Hong Kong Cantonese, humorous)
• 霓虹 (níhóng) (Internet slang)

 

Compounds

• 倭人 (wōrén)
• 倭刀
• 倭奴
• 倭子
• 倭寇 (wōkòu)
• 倭狐猴
• 倭瓜 (wōguā)
• 倭遲／倭迟
• 倭鉛／倭铅 (wōqiān)
• 倭黑猩猩 (wōhēixīngxīng)
• 老倭瓜

 

See also

• 大和 (Dàhé)
• 日本 (Rìběn)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wēi (wei¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wai¹ / wai²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wei
    • Wade–Giles: wei¹
    • Yale: wēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wai¹ / wai²
    • Yale: wāi / wái
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai¹ / wai²
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei¹ / wei²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯⁵⁵/, /wɐi̯³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jwe

Rime
Character	倭
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	支 (14)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於爲切
Baxter	'jwe
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiuᴇ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔʷᵚiɛ/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiuɛ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔjwiə̆/
Li Rong	/ʔjue/
Wang Li	/ǐwe/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔwie̯/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wēi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*qrol/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	倭
Reading #	3/3
No.	12902
Phonetic component	委
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	逶
Old Chinese	/*qrol/

Definitions

倭

1. Used in 倭遲／倭迟, alternative form of 逶迤 (wēiyí, “winding; meandering”)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wǒ (wo³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄛˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wo²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wǒ
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄛˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wǒ
    • Wade–Giles: wo³
    • Yale: wǒ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woo
    • Palladius: во (vo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wo²
    • Yale: wó
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wo²
    • Guangdong Romanization: wo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔː³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'waX

Rime
Character	倭
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	烏果切
Baxter	'waX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔuɑX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔuɑX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔuɑX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔwaX/
Li Rong	/ʔuɑX/
Wang Li	/uɑX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔuɑX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wǒ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wo2

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*qoːlʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	倭
Reading #	2/3
No.	12891
Phonetic component	委
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	婐
Old Chinese	/*qoːlʔ/

Definitions

倭

1. Only used in 倭墮髻／倭堕髻 (wǒduòjì, “a hairstyle for women that was popular during the Han Dynasty in which the hair was gathered up in a lopsided bun”).

Compounds

• 倭墮／倭堕 (wǒduò)
• 倭墮髻／倭堕髻 (wǒduòjì)

 

Japanese

Kanji

倭

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

1. Yamato
2. the country of Japan

Readings

• Go-on: い (i)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}、わ (wa)
• Kan-on: い (i)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}、わ (wa)
• Kun: やまと (yamato, 倭)、したがう (shitagau, 倭う)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
倭
やまと Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

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

【大和やまと】 [proper noun] a town in the Shikinoshimo district in the Yamato Province of Japan, generally equivalent to modern Tenri area [proper noun] A city in Kanagawa Prefecture [proper noun] one of the old provinces that made up Japan, generally equivalent to modern Nara prefecture [proper noun] the country of Japan Alternative spelling 和

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

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
倭
わ Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 倭 (MC 'wa). Various theories suggest that 倭 was influenced by Old Japanese 我 (wa, “I, me”) or referring to the practice of bowing among the ancient Japanese.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) わ [wáꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [β̞a̠]

Proper noun

倭(わ) • (Wa) 

1. ancient Japan

Usage notes

During the Nara period, Japanese scholars believed that 倭 was derogatory as a name for their own country, because the Chinese word depicted a man bending down. Around 757 CE, Japan replaced 倭 with 和(わ) (Wa), which had the same pronunciation in Old Japanese, but instead meant "harmonious".

Korean

Etymology 1

From a corrupted or unorthodox reading. The original reading is 와 (wa) based on Middle Chinese 倭 (MC 'wa).

Historical readings

• Recorded as Middle Korean ᅙᅪᆼ (Yale: qwa) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
• Recorded as Middle Korean 와 (wa)^訓 (Yale: wa) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [wɛ] ~ [we̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [왜/웨]

Hanja

Wikisource

倭 (eumhun 왜나라 왜 (waenara wae))

1. hanja form^? of 왜 (“ancient Japan, Yamato”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 왜국 (倭國, waeguk, “ancient Japan, Yamato; (derogatory) Japan”)
• 왜색 (倭色, waesaek, “(derogatory) Japanese style”)
• 왜구 (倭寇, waegu, “wokou”)
• 임진왜란 (壬辰倭亂, Imjinwaeran, “Japanese invasions of Korea”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 倭 (MC 'jwe).

Historical readings

• Recorded as Middle Korean ᅙᅱᆼ (Yale: qwuy) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.

Hanja

倭 (eumhun 유순할 위 (yusunhal wi))

1. (literary Chinese) hanja form^? of 위 (“docile, obedient”)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

倭: Hán Nôm readings: uy, oải, nụy/nuỵ, oa

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