明

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See also: 日月
明 U+660E, 明
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-660E
← 昍
[U+660D] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 昏 →
[U+660F]

Translingual[edit]

Stroke order
0 strokes

Han character[edit]

明 (Kangxi radical 72, 日+4, 8 strokes, cangjie input 日月 (AB), four-corner 67020, composition ⿰日月)

Derived characters[edit]

References[edit]

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 491, character 12
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13805
  • Dae Jaweon: page 852, character 18
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1491, character 8
  • Unihan data for U+660E

Chinese[edit]

simp. and trad.
 明
alternative forms 朙
眀
几
𤰾
𣇱

Glyph origin[edit]

Historical forms of the character 明
Shang Western Zhou Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Chu slip and silk script Ancient script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Characters in the same phonetic series (明) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
莔 *mraːŋ, *qʰɯd
明 *mraŋ
盟 *mraŋ, *mraːŋs
萌 *mreːŋ
奣 *ʔmraːŋʔ

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 日 (“sun”) + 月 (“moon”) – the sun just rising and the moon not yet set – dawn (天明 (tiānmíng)). Alternatively, it may be interpreted as two bright celestial bodies – bright. This form was already found in the oracle bone script and was prevalent throughout the eras.

Three other forms were found in the oracle bone script:

  • 朙 (míng) < 囧 (“window”) + 月 – the moon shining through a window – moonlight. This form was also prevalent in the ancient scripts and was considered to be the standard form in Shuowen. See this form's entry for its historical forms.
  • 眀 (míng) < 目 (“eye”) + 月 – bright eyes. This form was rarely attested, so it is still uncertain whether this form is actually equivalent to 明. It reappeared in the bamboo script of the Qin dynasty, but this was probably a corruption of 朙 (míng).
  • 𤰾 < 田 + 月 – probably a corruption of the above forms.

Etymology[edit]

Of either Proto-Sino-Tibetan origin, compare

Or from Austroasiatic, cognate with 亮 (OC *raŋs, “bright”) (Schuessler, 2007). For more see 亮 (OC *raŋs).

盟 (OC *mraŋ, *mraːŋs, “covenant”) is a derivative (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation[edit]

Note: míngr - "tomorrow".
Note:
  • mìn - literary;
  • miàng, màng - vernacular.
Note: mi1 - in 精明.
Note:
  • màng - vernacular;
  • mìng - literary.
Note:
  • bêng - literary;
  • bîn, miâ - vernacular;
  • mê/mêe/mî/môa/mâ - vernacular (limited, e.g. 明年 (míngnián)).
    • (Teochew)
      • Peng'im: mêng5 / mê5 / mia5 / man3 / muan3
      • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mêng / mê / miâ / màⁿ / muàⁿ
      • Sinological IPA (key): /meŋ⁵⁵/, /me⁵⁵/, /mia⁵⁵/, /mã²¹³/, /mũã²¹³/
Note:
  • mêng5 - literary;
  • mê5 - vernacular (limited, e.g. 明年 (míngnián));
  • man3, muan3 - vernacular (limited, e.g. 明起);
  • mia5 - vernacular (limited, e.g. 松柏明 (sêng5 bêh4 mia5, “pine torch”)).
Note:
  • 3men - vernacular;
  • 3min - literary.
Rime
Character 明
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 明 (4)
Final (韻) 庚 (111)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 武兵切
Baxter mjaeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/mˠiæŋ/
Pan
Wuyun 		/mᵚiaŋ/
Shao
Rongfen 		/miaŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/miajŋ/
Li
Rong 		/miɐŋ/
Wang
Li 		/mĭɐŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/mi̯ɐŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		míng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		ming4
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 明
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		míng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ mjæng ›
Old
Chinese 		/*mraŋ/
English bright

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 明
Reading # 1/1
No. 9188
Phonetic
component 		明
Rime
group 		陽
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		明
Old
Chinese 		/*mraŋ/

Definitions[edit]

明

  1. bright; light; brilliant
    明月  ―  míngyuè  ―  splendid moon
  2. clear; limpid (transparent; light-conducting; not obscured)
    窗明几淨／窗明几净  ―  chuāngmíngjījìng  ―  a neat place (literally, "the window is clear, the desk is clean")
  3. manifest; apparent (easily seen, perceived, or detected)
    明顯／明显  ―  míngxiǎn  ―  obvious
    明瞭／明了  ―  míngliǎo  ―  apparent; simple and clear
    明槍易躲，暗箭難防 [MSC, trad.]
    明枪易躲，暗箭难防 [MSC, simp.]
    míng qiāng yì duǒ, ànjiàn nán fáng [Pinyin]
    It is easy to dodge an open attack, but difficult to defend against a concealed one.
  4. vision; sight (the ability to see)
    失明  ―  shīmíng  ―  to be blind; to lose eyesight
  5. (of vision) acute; sharp; keen
    耳聰目明／耳聪目明  ―  ěrcōngmùmíng  ―  sharp at hearing and vision
  6. (figurative) intellect; knowledge; judgement; discernment; sensibility
    無明／无明  ―  wúmíng  ―  ignorance
  7. (figurative) intelligent; sensible; informed; wise
    明智  ―  míngzhì  ―  wise; sensible
    英明  ―  yīngmíng  ―  wise
  8. to understand; to know
    講明／讲明  ―  jiǎngmíng  ―  to explain
    明事理  ―  míngshìlǐ  ―  sensible; capable
    你唔明一定要出聲。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    你唔明一定要出声。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    nei5 m4 ming4 jat1 ding6 jiu3 ceot1 seng1. [Jyutping]
    If you don't understand you must speak up.
    我真係唔係好明點解（……） [Cantonese, trad.]
    我真系唔系好明点解（……） [Cantonese, simp.]
    ngo5 zan1 hai6 m4 hai6 hou2 ming4 dim2 gaai2 (......) [Jyutping]
    I really don't get why (…)
  9. evidently
    明知故問／明知故问  ―  míngzhīgùwèn  ―  to ask intentionally a question one already knows the answer to
  10. (literary) to make known
    開宗明義／开宗明义  ―  kāizōngmíngyì  ―  to make clear the main idea at the beginning in one's speech or writing
  11. next; following
    明天  ―  míngtiān  ―  tomorrow
    明年  ―  míngnián  ―  next year or the following year
    今冬明春  ―  jīn dōng míng chūn  ―  this winter and next spring
  12. (literary) tomorrow
  13. (～朝) Ming dynasty
  14. a surname, listed as #111 on the Baijiaxing
  15. (～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 明 (MC mjaeng)

See also[edit]

Dynasties (朝代) in Chinese history
Name Time period Divisions
Xia
夏 (～朝, ～代) 		2070 – 1600 BCE
Shang
商 (～朝, ～代)
殷 (～朝, ～代) 		1600 – 1046 BCE
Zhou
周 (～朝, ～代) 		1046 – 256 BCE Western Zhou
西周
Eastern Zhou
東周／东周		 Spring and Autumn period
春秋
Warring States period
戰國／战国
Qin
秦 (～朝, ～代) 		221 – 206 BCE
Han
漢／汉 (～朝, ～代) 		206 BCE – 220 C.E. Western Han
西漢／西汉
Xin
新 (～朝)
Eastern Han
東漢／东汉
Three Kingdoms
三國／三国 		220 – 280 C.E. Wei
魏
Shu Han
蜀漢／蜀汉
Wu
吳／吴
Jin
晉／晋 (～朝, ～代) 		265 – 420 C.E. Western Jin
西晉／西晋
Eastern Jin
東晉／东晋
Southern and Northern dynasties
南北朝 		420 – 589 C.E. Northern dynasties
北朝		 Northern Wei
北魏
Western Wei
西魏
Eastern Wei
東魏／东魏
Northern Zhou
北周
Northern Qi
北齊／北齐
Southern dynasties
南朝		 Liu Song
劉宋／刘宋
Southern Qi
南齊／南齐
Liang
梁 (～朝, ～代)
Chen
陳／陈 (～朝, ～代)
Sui
隋 (～朝, ～代) 		581 – 618 C.E.
Tang
唐 (～朝, ～代) 		618 – 907 C.E.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
五代十國／五代十国 		907 – 960 C.E.
Liao
遼／辽 (～朝, ～代) 		907 – 1125 C.E.
Song
宋 (～朝, ～代) 		960 – 1279 C.E. Northern Song
北宋
Southern Song
南宋
Western Xia
西夏 		1038 – 1227 C.E.
Jin
金 (～朝, ～代) 		1115 – 1234 C.E.
Western Liao
西遼／西辽 		1124 – 1218 C.E.
Yuan
元 (～朝, ～代) 		1271 – 1368 C.E.
Ming
明 (～朝, ～代) 		1368 – 1644 C.E.
Qing
清 (～朝, ～代) 		1636 – 1912 C.E.

Compounds[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Sino-Xenic (明):

References[edit]

Japanese[edit]

Kanji[edit]

明

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings[edit]

Compounds[edit]

Compounds

Etymology 1[edit]

Kanji in this term
明
めい
Grade: 2
kan’on

From Middle Chinese 明 (MC mjaeng).

The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) reading, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.

Affix[edit]

明(めい) • (mei) 

  1. bright, brightening
  2. clarifying, understanding
  3. brighten, enlighten
  4. open to the world
  5. deity, god
Derived terms[edit]
Derived terms

Noun[edit]

明(めい) • (mei) 

  1. brightness
  2. insight
  3. eyesight, vision

Etymology 2[edit]

Kanji in this term
明
みょう
Grade: 2
goon

/mʲau/ → /mʲɔː/ → /mʲoː/

From Middle Chinese 明 (MC mjaeng).

The 呉音 (goon, literally “Wu sound”) reading, so likely the earlier borrowing from Middle Chinese.

The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit विद्या (vidyā, “knowledge, wisdom”).[1]

Affix[edit]

明(みょう) • (myō) ←みやう (myau)?

  1. bright
  2. light, lamp
  3. clarifying
  4. passing to the next in time
  5. graceful, respectful
  6. (Buddhism) passing of knowledge, scholarship, or study
Derived terms[edit]
Derived terms

Noun[edit]

明(みょう) • (myō) ←みやう (myau)?

  1. (Buddhism) knowledge or wisdom that dispels the darkness of ignorance and brings to the realization of truth; enlightenment
  2. (Buddhism) an esoteric mantra

Adnominal[edit]

明(みょう) • (myō) ←みやう (myau)?

  1. this coming...

Etymology 3[edit]

Kanji in this term
明
みん
Grade: 2
tōon
Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ja
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

From Mandarin 明 (míng).

The 唐音 (tōon, literally “Tang sound”), so likely this reading was borrowed from around the Song dynasty.

Proper noun[edit]

明(みん) • (Min) 

  1. the Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 4[edit]

Kanji in this term
明
さや
Grade: 2
irregular
For pronunciation and definitions of 明 – see the following entry.
【清さや】4
[adverb] brightly, clearly, vividly
[adverb] cleanly, freshly, purely
[adverb] rustlingly
[proper noun] a female given name
(This term, 明, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 5[edit]

Kanji in this term
明
あき(ら)
Grade: 2
nanori

Nominalization of the stem of adjective 明らか (akiraka, “clear, visible”).

Proper noun[edit]

明(あきら) • (Akira) 

  1. a male given name

References[edit]

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

Korean[edit]

Hanja[edit]

明 (eumhun 밝을 명 (balgeul myeong))

  1. Hanja form? of 명 (“bright”).

Kunigami[edit]

Kanji[edit]

明

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Miyako[edit]

Kanji[edit]

明

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Okinawan[edit]

Kanji[edit]

明

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings[edit]

Compounds[edit]

Vietnamese[edit]

Han character[edit]

明: Hán Việt readings: minh (眉(mi)兵(binh)切(thiết))[1][2][3]
明: Nôm readings: mừng[1][2][3][4][5], minh[2][5], mầng[2][5], miêng[3][5], mênh[3]

  1. chữ Hán form of minh (“bright; clear”).
  2. chữ Hán form of Minh (“given name”).
  3. Nôm form of mừng.

Compounds[edit]

Derived terms

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nguyễn (2014).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Trần (2004).
  4. ^ Hồ (1976).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).

Yaeyama[edit]

Kanji[edit]

明

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Yonaguni[edit]

Kanji[edit]

明

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

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