Wiktionary

兄

See also: 只
兄 U+5144, 兄
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5144
← 元
[U+5143] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 充 →
[U+5145]

Translingual

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Stroke order
 

Han character

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兄 (Kangxi radical 10, 儿+3, 5 strokes, cangjie input 口竹山 (RHU), four-corner 60210, composition ⿱口儿)

Derived characters

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 123, character 9
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1343
  • Dae Jaweon: page 259, character 3
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 266, character 4
  • Unihan data for U+5144

Chinese

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simp. and trad.
 兄
alternative forms 㑆
𬆁

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character 兄
Shang Western Zhou Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Chu slip and silk script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
         
 
j20630
 
j20631
 
j20632
 
j20633
 
j20634
 
j20635
 
j20636
 
j20637
 
j20638
 
j20639
 
j20640
 
j20641
 
j20642
 
j20643
 
j20644
 
j20645
 
j20646
 
j20647
 
j20648
 
j20649
 
j20650
 
j20651
 
j20652
 
j20653
 
j20654
 
j20655
 
j20656
 
j20657
 
j20658
 
j20659
 
j20660
 
j20661
 
j20662
 
j20663
 
j20664
 
j20665
 
j20666
 
j20667
 
j20668
 
j20669
 
j20670
 
j20671
 
j20672
 
j20673
 
j20674
 
j20675
 
j20676
 
j20677
 
j20678
 
j20679
 
j20680
 
j20681
 
j20682
 
j20683
 
j20684
 
j20685
 
j20686
 
j20687
 
j20688
 
j20689
 
j20690
 
j20691
 
j20692
 
j20693
 
j20694
 
j20695
 
j20696
 
j20697
 
j20698
 
j20699
 
j20700
 
j20701
 
j20702
 
j20703
 
j20704
 
j20705
 
j20706
 
j20707
 
j20708
 
j20709
 
j20710
 
j20711
 
j20712
 
j20713
 
j20714
 
j20715
 
j20716
 
j20717
 
j20718
 
j20719
 
j20720
 
j20721
 
j20722
 
j20723
 
j20724
 
j20725
 
j20726
 
j20727
 
j20728
 
j20729
 
j20730
 
j20731
 
j20732
 
j20733
 
j20734
 
j20735
 
j20736
 
j20737
 
j20738
 
j20739
 
j20740
 
j20741
 
j20742
 
j20743
 
j20744
 
b13475
 
b13476
 
b13477
 
b13478
 
b13479
 
b13480
 
b13481
 
b13482
 
b13483
 
b13484
 
b13485
 
b13486
 
b13487
 
b13488
 
b13489
 
b13490
 
b13491
 
b13492
 
b13493
 
b13494
 
b13495
 
b13496
 
b13497
 
b13498
 
b13499
 
b13500
 
b13501
 
b13502
 
b13504
 
s06205
Transcribed ancient scripts
 
L33193
 
L33194
 
L10751
 
L10752
 
L10753
 
L10754
 
L10755
 
L10756
 
L10757
 
L10758
 
L10759
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 (兄) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
怳 *hmaŋʔ
況 *hmaŋs
貺 *hmaŋs
况 *hmaŋs
兄 *hmraŋ

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 口 + 儿 to convey the idea of giving orders. The original meaning of "elder brother" refers to the fact that the elder brother gives order to the younger brothers and his sisters. Compare 令, in which an open mouth on top of the character conveys the same idea of giving orders. Similar to 欠, in which there is a kneeling man with an open mouth.

Etymology

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From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *maŋ (“big; old; elder (brother, uncle)”) (Sagart, 1999; STEDT). Related to 孟 (OC *mraːŋs, “great; eldest brother; first”); see there for more.

Schuessler (2007), instead, connects it to Proto-Lolo-Burmese *ʔwyik (“elder sibling”), which is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ʔik (“elder brother”).

Alternatively, Benedict (1972) relates it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bʷaŋ ~ *pʷaŋ (“(paternal) uncle; elder brother”), which is possibly also related to 伯 (OC *praːɡ, “paternal uncle; eldest brother”).

Pronunciation

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Note:
  • hiaⁿ - vernacular;
  • heng - literary.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 兄
Mandarin Beijing /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Harbin /ɕioŋ⁴⁴/
Tianjin /ɕioŋ²¹/
Jinan /ɕioŋ²¹³/
Qingdao /ɕiŋ²¹³/
Zhengzhou /ɕyoŋ²⁴/
Xi'an /ɕioŋ²¹/
Xining /ɕyə̃⁴⁴/
Yinchuan /ɕyoŋ⁴⁴/
Lanzhou /xỹn³¹/
Ürümqi /ɕioŋ⁴⁴/
Wuhan /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Chengdu /ɕyoŋ⁵⁵/
Guiyang /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Kunming /ɕioŋ⁴⁴/
Nanjing /ɕioŋ³¹/
Hefei /xiŋ²¹/
Jin Taiyuan /ɕyəŋ¹¹/
Pingyao /ɕioŋ¹³/
/ɕy¹³/ ～弟
Hohhot /ɕỹŋ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /ɕioŋ⁵³/
Suzhou /ɕioŋ⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /ɕioŋ³³/
Wenzhou /ɕoŋ³³/
Hui Shexian /ɕyʌ̃³¹/
Tunxi /ɕyɛ¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /ɕioŋ³³/
Xiangtan /ɕin³³/
Gan Nanchang /ɕiɑŋ⁴²/
/ɕiuŋ⁴²/ 弟～
Hakka Meixian /hiuŋ⁴⁴/
Taoyuan /hioŋ²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /heŋ⁵³/
Nanning /heŋ⁵⁵/
Hong Kong /hiŋ⁵⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /hiŋ⁵/
/hia⁵⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /hiŋ⁴⁴/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /xœyŋ⁵⁴/
/xiaŋ⁵⁴/
Shantou (Teochew) /hiã³³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /hia²³/
/hia⁵⁵/ ～兄
Rime
Character 兄
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 曉 (32)
Final (韻) 庚 (112)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 許榮切
Baxter xjwaeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/hˠwiæŋ/
Pan
Wuyun 		/hʷᵚiaŋ/
Shao
Rongfen 		/xiuaŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/hwiajŋ/
Li
Rong 		/xiuɐŋ/
Wang
Li 		/xĭwɐŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/xi̯wɐŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		xiōng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		hing1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 兄
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		xiōng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ xjwæng ›
Old
Chinese 		/*m̥raŋ/
English elder brother

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 兄
Reading # 1/1
No. 13905
Phonetic
component 		兄
Rime
group 		陽
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		兄
Old
Chinese 		/*hmraŋ/
Notes 甲金文象張口呵喝之人，
金文有往聲者。疑初與孟同源

Definitions

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兄

  1. elder brother
  2. elder male cousin
    堂兄  ―  tángxiōng  ―  father’s brother’s son older than oneself
  3. brother (male friend of the same generation)
  4. (Hokkien, familiar) respectful honorific used after a name for an elder brother or any male senior: Mister; Brother

Synonyms

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  • (elder brother):
Dialectal synonyms of 哥哥 (“elder brother”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 兄
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 哥哥, 兄長
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 哥哥, 哥
Taiwan 哥哥, 哥
Harbin 哥哥
Shenyang 哥哥
Malaysia 哥哥
Singapore 哥哥
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 哥哥
Jiaoliao Mandarin Yantai (Muping) 哥
Central Plains Mandarin Luoyang 哥
Wanrong 哥
Xi'an 哥
Xining 阿哥
Xuzhou 哥哥
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 哥哥
Ürümqi 哥哥, 哥, 阿哥 Hui, ><
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 哥哥, 哥, 哥老倌兒, 哥老倌
Wuhan 哥哥
Guiyang 哥哥, 哥
Kunming 哥哥
Liuzhou 哥
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 哥哥
Yangzhou 哥哥, 哥
Hefei 哥哥
Cantonese Guangzhou 大佬, 阿哥, 哥哥 ><
Hong Kong 大佬, 阿哥, 哥哥
Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) 哥哥 ><, 大佬 <>, 阿哥 <>
Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou) 哥哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 阿哥
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 哥哥 ><, 阿哥 <>
Macau 阿哥 ><, 大佬
Guangzhou (Panyu) 阿哥 ><, 大哥, 大佬 <>
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Guangzhou (Conghua) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 阿哥
Foshan (Shunde) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan (Sanshui) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Zhuhai (Doumen) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Jiangmen (Baisha) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Taishan 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>, 哥
Kaiping (Chikan) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Enping (Niujiang) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Heshan (Yayao) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Dongguan 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Yangjiang 大佬, 阿哥
Nanning 阿哥, 哥哥, 大佬
Wuzhou 阿哥, 哥哥, 大佬
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Singapore (Guangfu) 大佬, 哥哥
Gan Nanchang 哥哥 ><, 兄 <>
Lichuan 哥 ><, 兄 <>
Hakka Meixian 阿哥
Xingning 阿哥
Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua) 阿哥
Huiyang 阿哥
Huidong (Daling) 阿哥
Dongguan (Qingxi) 阿哥
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 阿哥
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 阿哥
Wuhua (Shuizhai) 阿哥
Wuhua (Huacheng) 阿哥
Wuhua (Changbu) 阿哥
Wuhua (Mianyang) 阿哥
Wuhua (Meilin) 阿哥
Heyuan (Bendihua) 阿哥
Wengyuan 阿哥
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 哥哥
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 阿哥
Liannan 阿哥
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) 阿哥
Jiexi 阿哥, 哥
Luhe 阿哥
Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan) 阿哥
Changting 老伯
Wuping 老伯
Wuping (Yanqian) 老伯哩
Wuping (Pingyu) 哥
Liancheng 老伯
Ninghua 老伯
Yudu 哥哥, 老伯
Ningdu 哥哥
Ruijin 哥哥, 老兄
Shicheng 老伯
Shangyou (Shexi) 老伯
Tonggu (Sandu) 哥哥
Ganzhou (Panlong) 老伯
Dayu 哥哥
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 阿哥
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 阿哥
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 阿哥
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 阿哥
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 阿哥
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 阿哥
Hong Kong 阿哥
Yangxi (Tangkou) 阿哥
Yangchun (Sanjia) 阿哥
Xinyi (Sihe) 大佬
Xinyi (Qianpai) 阿哥, 大佬
Gaozhou (Xindong) 阿哥
Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai) 阿哥
Huazhou (Xin'an) 阿哥
Lianjiang (Shijiao) 阿哥
Lianjiang (Qingping) 阿哥, 大哥
Mengshan (Xihe) 哥
Luchuan 哥
Sabah (Bao'an) 阿哥
Sabah (Longchuan) 阿哥
Senai (Huiyang) 阿哥
Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo) 阿哥
Singkawang 阿哥
Huizhou Jixi 哥哥
Jin Taiyuan 哥哥, 哥
Northern Min Jian'ou 哥仔, 哥哥
Eastern Min Fuzhou 依哥
Fuqing 哥, 阿哥
Matsu 依哥
Singapore (Fuqing) 阿哥
Southern Min Xiamen 阿兄, 阿哥, 兄哥, 俺兄
Quanzhou 阿兄
Jinjiang 大兄
Yongchun 阿哥, 哥, 阿兄, 兄
Dehua 阿兄
Zhangzhou 阿兄, 咉兄 <>
Zhao'an 兄, 阿兄
Taipei 阿兄
New Taipei (Sanxia) 阿兄
Kaohsiung 兄哥
Yilan 阿兄
Changhua (Lukang) 阿兄
Taichung 大兄
Taichung (Wuqi) 阿兄
Tainan 阿哥, 兄哥, 兄哥仔
Taitung 大兄
Hsinchu 阿兄
Kinmen 阿兄
Penghu (Magong) 阿兄
Penang (Hokkien) 阿哥, 哥, 哥哥
Singapore (Hokkien) 阿兄, 大兄
Manila (Hokkien) 阿兄, 哥仔 archaic
Chaozhou 阿兄
Shantou 阿兄
Jieyang 阿兄
Bangkok (Teochew) 阿兄
Johor Bahru (Teochew) 阿兄
Singapore (Teochew) 阿兄
Leizhou 兄 ><, 尼兄 <>
Wenchang 阿哥
Haikou 阿兄 ><, 阿哥 ><, 兄 <>
Singapore (Hainanese) 阿哥
Puxian Min Putian 阿兄
Xianyou 阿兄
Zhongshan Min Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) 哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 阿哥
Wu Shanghai 阿哥, 哥哥
Shanghai (Chongming) 阿哥
Suzhou 阿哥
Danyang 哥哥
Hangzhou 阿哥, 哥哥
Ningbo 哥哥, 阿哥
Wenzhou 阿大, 哥哥
Jinhua 哥哥 ><, 哥 <>
Xiang Changsha 老兄, 哥哥
Shuangfeng 老兄, 哥哥
Hengyang 老兄 <>, 哥哥 ><
Note >< - face-to-face; <> - non-face-to-face

Compounds

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Descendants

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  • → Lao: ເຮຍ (hīa)
  • → Thai: เฮีย (hiia)

Japanese

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Kanji

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兄

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. elder/older brother
  2. honorific referencing an older brother figure

Readings

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Compounds

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Compounds

Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
兄
あに
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese of unclear derivation:

  • Probably originally a compound of 吾 (a, Eastern Old Japanese first-person pronoun) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 兄 (ye → e, “eldest sibling”, see below):[1]
    ⟨a no2 ye⟩ → */anʉʲɨe/ → /ani/
  • Alternatively, an apophonic form of 姉 (ane, “elder sister”), itself possibly from the same derivation above.[2]
  • Several other theories have also been suggested.[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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兄(あに) • (ani) 

  1. elder brother
  2. elder brother-in-law
    Synonym: 義兄 (gikei)
  3. Short for 花の兄 (hana no ani): alternative name for the 梅 (ume), the Japanese plum (Prunus mume)
Usage notes
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  • (elder brother): This term conveys neither positive nor negative connotations and is often used in objective narrations. However, using it to describe someone the speaker knows personally is often considered lacking respect, where more polite forms like お兄(にい)さん (onīsan) are preferred.
Coordinate terms
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Derived terms
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Derived terms

Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
兄
けい
Grade: 2
kan'on

*/kwæi/ → /kʷæi/ → /keː/

From Middle Chinese 兄 (MC xjwaeng).

Pronunciation

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  • Pitch accent for suffix unknown.

Noun

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兄(けい) • (kei) 

  1. (rare) an elder brother
    Coordinate term: 弟 (tei)
Idioms
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Pronoun

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兄(けい) • (kei) 

  1. pronoun referencing an older brother figure: you, he

Suffix

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兄(けい) • (-kei) 

  1. attaches to a name referencing an older brother figure: Mister, Mr.

Etymology 3

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Kanji in this term
兄
え
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

/je/ → /e/

From Old Japanese.

Noun

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兄(え) • (e) 

  1. (archaic) the eldest sibling
    Antonym: 弟 (oto)
    • 711–712, Kojiki, poem 16:
      , text here
      加都賀都母(かつがつも)伊夜佐岐陀弖流(いやさきだてる)延(𛀁)袁斯麻加牟(をしまかむ) [Man'yōgana]
      かつがつもいや先(さき)立(だ)てる兄(え)をし枕(ま)かむ [Modern spelling]
      katsugatsu mo iya sakidateru e o shi makamu
      If I have to choose, the one standing there in front―the eldest one I'll wed.[5]
Derived terms
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Derived terms

Etymology 4

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Kanji in this term
兄
せ
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.

Alternative forms

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Noun

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兄(せ) • (se) 

  1. (archaic) a woman's brother (regardless of age difference)
  2. (archaic) a woman's lover or husband
  3. (archaic) a familiar man
Antonyms
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Derived terms
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Derived terms

Etymology 5

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Kanji in this term
兄
このかみ
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.

Originally a compound of 子 (ko, “child”) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 上 (kami, “upper”).[3][6]

Alternative forms

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Noun

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兄(このかみ) • (konokami) 

  1. (archaic) eldest son
    Synonyms: 長兄 (chōkei), 長男 (chōnan)
  2. (archaic) a senior
    Synonym: 年長者 (nenchōsha)
  3. (archaic) (by extension) an elder sibling
  4. (archaic) the head of a clan
  5. (archaic) a skilled craftsman
    Synonym: 頭 (kashira)
Derived terms
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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsuoka Shizuo (1929) 日本古語大辞典‎[1] (in Japanese), アネ（姉）, page 56: “之からアニといふ語が分派した ― The word ani developed from this”
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
  5. ^ Edwin A. Cranston (1998) The Gem-Glistening Cup (Volume 1 of A Waka Anthology), illustrated, reprint edition, Stanford University Press, →ISBN, page 17
  6. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

Korean

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Etymology

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From Middle Chinese 兄 (MC xjwaeng).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 ᄒᆑᇰ (Yale: hyyèng)
Middle Korean
Text Eumhun
Gloss (hun) Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2] ᄆᆞᆮ (Yale: mòt) 혀ᇰ (Yale: hyèng)

Pronunciation

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Hanja

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Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

兄 (eumhun 형 형 (hyeong hyeong))

  1. hanja form? of 형 (“older brother of a male”) [noun]

Compounds

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Compounds

References

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

Vietnamese

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Han character

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兄: Hán Nôm readings: huynh

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

Derived terms

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