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白

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: 日, 曰, 臼, 自, and 百
白 U+767D, 白
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-767D
← 發
[U+767C]
CJK Unified Ideographs 百 →
[U+767E]

⽩ U+2F69, ⽩
KANGXI RADICAL WHITE
← ⽨
[U+2F68]
Kangxi Radicals ⽪ →
[U+2F6A]

Translingual

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Stroke order

Han character

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白 (Kangxi radical 106, 白+0, 5 strokes, Cangjie input 竹日 (HA), four-corner 26000, composition ⿱丿日)

  1. Kangxi radical #106, ⽩.

Derived characters

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 785, character 1
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 22678
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1196, character 1
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2642, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+767D

Chinese

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simp. and trad.
白
Wikipedia has articles on:

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character 白
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts

Two theories:

  • pictogram (象形) of an acorn. Compare 櫟/栎 (lì).
  • A human head. Compare 皃 (貌 (mào)) and 黑 (hēi).

Possibly part of a phonetic family contrasting stop initials (P/B) for exposure/brightness against nasal initials (M) for concealment/darkness; compare 黑 (OC *m̥ˤək) and 白 (OC *bˤrak).

Etymology

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STEDT derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bawk (“white”), whence also Proto-Bodo-Garo *bok (“white”), Limbu ᤑ (phô, “white”); also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *kɓɔɔk (“white, grey”).

However, Schuessler (2007) finds it difficult to reconcile these forms with Middle Chinese due to the lack of medial r. Instead, he proposes a derivation from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bar (“white”) with -k extension, thus cognate with 皤 (OC *baːl, “white”) (Wang, 1982), Mizo vâr (“(to be) white”), Proto-Karen *ʔ(b)wa (“white”).

Pronunciation

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Note: bó - extremely limited in usage, sometimes used in the name Li Bai (李白).
Note:
  • pah7 - vernacular;
  • pet6 - literary (e.g. 明白).
Note:
  • Changting:
    • pe5 - vernacular;
    • pa5 - literary.
Note:
  • bā, bà - vernacular;
  • bà̤ - literary.
Note:
  • băh - vernacular;
  • bĕk - literary.
Note:
  • ba7 - vernacular;
  • bah7 - vernacular (limited, e.g. 講白);
  • beh7 - literary.
Note:
  • pe̍h/pe̍eh/pē/pie̍eh - vernacular (“white; easy to understand; in vain; spoken lines; funeral; bland and tasteless; cooked with just water; greasy; jargon; surname”, used in most compounds);
  • pe̍k/pia̍k/pi̍t - literary (used in a few compounds).
Note:
  • Suzhou:
    • 8baq - vernacular;
    • 8beq - literary.
  • Changzhou:
    • 8boq - vernacular;
    • 8beq - literary.
  • Fuyang:
    • 8baq - general;
    • 8boq - alternative, e.g. 白鴿.
  • Haining:
    • 8baq - vernacular.
  • Ningbo:
Note:
  • po4 - vernacular;
  • be2 - literary.

  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 白
Mandarin Beijing /pai³⁵/
Harbin /pai²⁴/
Tianjin /pai⁴⁵/
Jinan /pei²¹³/
Qingdao /pe⁴²/
Zhengzhou /pɛ⁴²/
Xi'an /pei²⁴/
Xining /pɨ²⁴/
Yinchuan /pia¹³/
/pɛ¹³/
Lanzhou /pə⁵³/
Ürümqi /pai⁵¹/
/pei⁵¹/
Wuhan /pɤ²¹³/
Chengdu /pe³¹/
Guiyang /pɛ²¹/
Kunming /pə³¹/
Nanjing /pəʔ⁵/
Hefei /pɐʔ⁵/
Jin Taiyuan /pai¹¹/
/piəʔ⁵⁴/
Pingyao /piʌʔ⁵³/ ~的
/pæ¹³/ ~菜
Hohhot /pɛ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /baʔ¹/
Suzhou /bɑʔ³/
Hangzhou /bɑʔ²/
Wenzhou /ba²¹³/
Hui Shexian /pʰɛ²²/
Tunxi /pʰa¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /pə²⁴/
Xiangtan /pæ²⁴/
Gan Nanchang /pʰɑʔ²/
Hakka Meixian /pʰak̚⁵/
Taoyuan /pʰɑk̚⁵⁵/
Cantonese Guangzhou /pak̚²/
Nanning /pak̚²²/
Hong Kong /pak̚²/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /pik̚⁵/
/peʔ⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /paʔ⁵/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /pa⁴⁴/
/pɛ⁴²/
Shantou (Teochew) /peʔ⁵/
Haikou (Hainanese) /ʔbɔk̚⁵/
/ʔbɛ³⁵/

Rime
Character 白
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 並 (3)
Final (韻) 陌 (113)
Tone (調) Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) II
Fanqie 傍陌切
Baxter baek
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/bˠæk̚/
Pan
Wuyun
/bᵚak̚/
Shao
Rongfen
/bak̚/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/baɨjk̚/
Li
Rong
/bɐk̚/
Wang
Li
/bɐk̚/
Bernhard
Karlgren
/bʱɐk̚/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
bó
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
bak6
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 白
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
bái
Middle
Chinese
‹ bæk ›
Old
Chinese
/*bˁrak/
English white

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 白
Reading # 1/1
No. 207
Phonetic
component
白
Rime
group
鐸
Rime
subdivision
0
Corresponding
MC rime
白
Old
Chinese
/*braːɡ/

Definitions

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白

  1. white
    白色  ―  báisè  ―  white color
    白茶  ―  báichá  ―  white tea
  2. clear; easy to understand
    明白  ―  míngbai  ―  clear, obvious
    淺白/浅白  ―  qiǎnbái  ―  simple
  3. clear; pure; plain; blank
    白紙/白纸  ―  báizhǐ  ―  a blank sheet of paper
    白卷  ―  báijuàn  ―  blank exam paper
    白水  ―  báishuǐ  ―  plain water
    白粥  ―  báizhōu  ―  plain congee
  4. bright; well-lit
  5. eminent; prominent
  6. vernacular
    白話/白话  ―  báihuà  ―  spoken language
  7. dialect
    蘇白/苏白  ―  sūbái  ―  Suzhou dialect
    京白  ―  jīngbái  ―  Beijing dialect
  8. short for 白讀/白读 (báidú, “colloquial reading”)
  9. reactionary; anticommunist
    白軍/白军  ―  báijūn  ―  The White army
    白區/白区  ―  báiqū  ―  The White area
    白色恐怖  ―  báisèkǒngbù  ―  the White terror
  10. in vain; for nothing
    我們沒有白忙。/我们没有白忙。  ―  Wǒmen méiyǒu bái máng.  ―  Our efforts were not in vain.
    她白等了。  ―  Tā bái děng le.  ―  She waited in vain.
    他們的血沒有白流。 [MSC, trad.]
    他们的血没有白流。 [MSC, simp.]
    Tāmen de xuè méiyǒu bái liú. [Pinyin]
    Their blood was not shed in vain.
    所有的工作都白做了。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]
    Suǒyǒu de gōngzuò dōu bái zuò le. [Pinyin]
    All the work has been done for nothing.
    白來一趟/白来一趟  ―  bái lái yī tàng  ―  to come in vain; to come for nothing
    白給的東西/白给的东西  ―  báigěi de dōngxi  ―  something given for nothing
  11. free of charge; gratuitous; gratis
    你可以白拿走這些蘋果。 [MSC, trad.]
    你可以白拿走这些苹果。 [MSC, simp.]
    Nǐ kěyǐ bái názǒu zhè xiē píngguǒ. [Pinyin]
    You can have these apples for free.
  12. to stare coldly; to stare at someone with the white of the eyes
    她生氣地白了他一眼。 [MSC, trad.]
    她生气地白了他一眼。 [MSC, simp.]
    Tā shēngqì de bái le tā yīyǎn. [Pinyin]
    She gave him an angry stare.
  13. to explain; to present; to state
    自白  ―  zìbái  ―  explain oneself, confess
    開場白/开场白  ―  kāichǎngbái  ―  preamble
    表白  ―  biǎobái  ―  to explain oneself
    辯白/辩白  ―  biànbái  ―  to explain, to defend oneself
  14. to mispronounce or wrongly write a character
    我老是寫白字讀破句。 [MSC, trad.]
    我老是写白字读破句。 [MSC, simp.]
    Wǒ lǎoshì xiě bái zì dúpòjù. [Pinyin]
    I always mispronounce words and break my sentences up in the wrong places.
    我把這字念白了。 [MSC, trad.]
    我把这字念白了。 [MSC, simp.]
    Wǒ bǎ zhè zì niàn bái le. [Pinyin]
    I've mispronounced the character.
  15. spoken lines
    念白  ―  niànbái  ―  spoken parts of a Chinese opera
    道白  ―  dàobái  ―  spoken parts of a Chinese opera
    獨白/独白  ―  dúbái  ―  monologue
    對白/对白  ―  duìbái  ―  dialogue
  16. funeral
    紅白喜事/红白喜事  ―  hóngbáixǐshì  ―  weddings and funerals
    白帖 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-thiap [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  obituary
  17. (Hokkien) bland and tasteless
    白䭕/白𬲕 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-chiáⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  bland and flavorless
  18. (Hokkien) cooked with just water without adding any seasoning
    白煠 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-sa̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to cook with boiling water
  19. (Hokkien) greasy; with a lot of fat or oil
    白肉 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-bah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  fatty meat
  20. (Hokkien) jargon; cant
    販仔白/贩仔白 [Hokkien]  ―  hoàn-á-pe̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  merchant jargon
  21. (Mainland China Hokkien) frank speech
    跋白 [Hokkien]  ―  poa̍h-pe̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to publicly disclose and get all the words and things clear in person
  22. a surname, commonly romanized as Bai
    白崇禧  ―  Bái Chóngxǐ  ―  Bai Chongxi
  23. (~族) Bai, an ethnic group living primarily in Yunnan, China

Synonyms

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  • (white): (Classical) 鶴/鹤 (hè), 鵠/鹄 (hú)
  • (in vain): (Southern Min) 干

Descendants

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Sino-Xenic (白):
  • → Japanese: 白(はく) (haku)
  • → Korean: 백(白) (baek)
  • → Jeju: 벡 (bek)
  • → Vietnamese: bạch (白)

Others:

Compounds

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See also

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Colors in Chinese · 顏色 / 颜色 (layout · text)
     白色      灰色      黑色
             紅色 / 红色, 赤色; 緋紅色 / 绯红色, 豔紅色 / 艳红色, 大紅 / 大红              橙色; 棕色, 褐色              黃色 / 黄色; 奶油色
             青檸色 / 青柠色              綠色 / 绿色             
             青色; 深青色              湛藍色 / 湛蓝色, 蔚藍色 / 蔚蓝色, 天藍色 / 天蓝色              藍色 / 蓝色
             紫羅蘭色 / 紫罗兰色; 靛色              洋紅色 / 洋红色; 紫色              粉紅色 / 粉红色

References

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Japanese

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Kanji

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白

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

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Compounds

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Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
白
しろ
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

⟨siro1⟩ → */sirʷo/ → /ɕiro/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *siro.

The standalone apophonic form of shira below.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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白(しろ) • (shiro) 

  1. the color white
    Coordinate term: 黒 (kuro, “black”)
  2. (by extension) innocence
    Coordinate term: 黒 (kuro, “guilt”)
  3. (go) a white go stone
  4. something unwritten
  5. (colloquial) the white team in a 紅白 (kōhaku) group
  6. (colloquial) short for 銀 (shirogane): silver
  7. (colloquial) synonym of 塩 (shio): salt
  8. (colloquial) short for 白書院 (shiroshoin): a specific kind of drawing room or study, using unpainted cedar wood with straight grain
  9. a type of もつ焼き (motsuyaki) made from pig intestines
  10. in the game of 人狼 (Jinrō, “Werewolf; Mafia”), one who is on the villagers' side
    Antonym: 黒 (kuro)
    確定白(かくていしろ)・確白(かくしろ)
    kakutei-shiro kakushiro
    one who is certainly on the villagers' side
Derived terms
[edit]

Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
白
しら
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

⟨sira⟩ → /ɕira/

From Old Japanese. The 被(ひ)覆(ふく)形(けい) (hifukukei, “bound form”) of 白(しろ) (shiro), mostly used in compounds.

Pronunciation

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Prefix

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白(しら) • (shira-) 

  1. Combining form of しろ (shiro) above:
    1. white
    2. undyed, unpainted, unseasoned, etc.
    3. pure
    4. innocent
    5. normal, unspecial
Derived terms
[edit]

Adjective

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白(しら) • (shira) -na (adnominal 白(しら)な (shira na), adverbial 白(しら)に (shira ni))

  1. unapplied, undecorated; also the object that is unapplied or undecorated
  2. honest, serious; also the person who is honest or serious
  3. normal, unspecial; also the person who is normal or unspecial in position, occupation, or condition
Inflection
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Inflection of 白
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) 白だろ しらだろ shira daro
Continuative (連用形) 白で しらで shira de
Terminal (終止形) 白だ しらだ shira da
Attributive (連体形) 白な しらな shira na
Hypothetical (仮定形) 白なら しらなら shira nara
Imperative (命令形) 白であれ しらであれ shira de are
Key constructions
Informal negative 白ではない
白じゃない
しらではない
しらじゃない
shira de wa nai
shira ja nai
Informal past 白だった しらだった shira datta
Informal negative past 白ではなかった
白じゃなかった
しらではなかった
しらじゃなかった
shira de wa nakatta
shira ja nakatta
Formal 白です しらです shira desu
Formal negative 白ではありません
白じゃありません
しらではありません
しらじゃありません
shira de wa arimasen
shira ja arimasen
Formal past 白でした しらでした shira deshita
Formal negative past 白ではありませんでした
白じゃありませんでした
しらではありませんでした
しらじゃありませんでした
shira de wa arimasen deshita
shira ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive 白で しらで shira de
Conditional 白なら(ば) しらなら(ば) shira nara (ba)
Provisional 白だったら しらだったら shira dattara
Volitional 白だろう しらだろう shira darō
Adverbial 白に しらに shira ni
Degree 白さ しらさ shirasa
Classical conjugation of "白なり" (ナリ活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形) 白なら しらなら siranara
Continuative (連用形) 白に[1]
白なり[2]
しらに
しらなり
sirani
siranari
Terminal (終止形) 白なり しらなり siranari
Attributive (連体形) 白なる しらなる siranaru
Realis (已然形) 白なれ しらなれ siranare
Imperative (命令形) 白なれ しらなれ siranare
Key constructions
Negative 白ならず しらならず siranarazu
Contrasting conjunction 白なれど しらなれど siranaredo
Causal conjunction 白なれば しらなれば siranareba
Conditional conjunction 白ならば しらならば siranaraba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge) 白なりき しらなりき siranariki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge) 白なりけり しらなりけり siranarikeri
Adverbial 白に しらに sirani

[1]Without auxiliary verb.
[2]With auxiliary verb.

Idioms
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Etymology 3

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Kanji in this term
白
はく
Grade: 1
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 白 (MC baek).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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白(はく) or 白(ハク) • (haku) 

  1. the color white
  2. short for 白人 (hakujin): an amateur
  3. a performer's lines
    Synonym: 台詞 (serifu)
  4. (mahjong) a white dragon tile
    Synonym: 白板 (paipan)
    Hypernym: 三元牌 (sangenpai)
  5. (mahjong) a 役 (yaku, “winning hand”) with a triplet or quad of white dragon tiles, worth 1 翻 (han, “double”)
    Hypernym: 役牌 (yakuhai, yaku-pai)
Coordinate terms
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Affix

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白(はく) • (haku) 

  1. white
  2. colorless, dirtless, markless
  3. bright and clear
  4. humbly say
  5. sake cup
  6. short for 白居易 (Haku Kyoi): Bai Juyi
Derived terms
[edit]

Etymology 4

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Kanji in this term
白
びゃく
Grade: 1
goon

From Middle Chinese 白 (MC baek).

Affix

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白(びゃく) • (byaku) 

  1. white
Derived terms
[edit]

See also

[edit]
Colors in Japanese · 色(いろ) (iro) (layout · text)
     白(しろ) (shiro)      灰(はい)色(いろ) (haiiro),
鼠(ねずみ)色(いろ) (nezumiiro) (dated)
     黒(くろ) (kuro)
             赤(あか) (aka); 深(しん)紅(く) (shinku),
クリムゾン (kurimuzon),
紅(べに)色(いろ) (beniiro),
紅(くれない)色(いろ) (kurenaiiro),
茜(あかね)色(いろ) (akaneiro)
             橙(だいだい)色(いろ) (daidaiiro),
オレンジ (orenji); 茶(ちゃ)色(いろ) (chairo),
褐(かっ)色(しょく) (kasshoku)
             黄(き)色(いろ) (kiiro); クリーム色(いろ) (kurīmuiro)
             黄(き)緑(みどり) (kimidori)              緑(みどり) (midori),
青(あお) (ao) (dated)
             若(わか)緑(みどり) (wakamidori)
             水(みず)色(いろ) (mizuiro),
シアン (shian); 鴨(かも)の羽(はね)色(いろ) (kamo no hane iro)
             空(そら)色(いろ) (sorairo),
縹(はなだ) (hanada);
青(あお) (ao)
             青(あお) (ao),
紺(こん)藍(あい) (kon'ai);
紺(こん) (kon)
             菫(すみれ)色(いろ) (sumireiro),
紫(むらさき) (murasaki); 藍(あい)色(いろ) (aiiro),
インジゴ (injigo)
             赤(あか)紫(むらさき) (akamurasaki),
マゼンタ (mazenta); 紫(むらさき) (murasaki)
             桃(もも)色(いろ) (momoiro),
ピンク (pinku)

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

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Etymology

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From Middle Chinese 白 (MC baek).

Hanja

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白 (eumhun 흰 백 (huin baek))

  1. hanja form? of 백 (“white”)

白 (eumhun 아뢸 백 (aroel baek))

  1. hanja form? of 백 (“tell, inform”)

See also

[edit]

Okinawan

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Proto-Ryukyuan *siro, from Proto-Japonic *siro.

Cognate with Japanese 白 (shiro, “white”).

Noun

[edit]

白(しるー) (shirū) 

  1. white (color)
    くれー、白(しるー)やいびーん。
    Kurē, shirū yaibīn.
    This is white.

References

[edit]
  • Okinawan-English Wordbook (Mitsugu Sakihara)

Old Korean

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

The first attested meaning is "to report to a superior", from which the generally honorific meaning developed, presumably via an intermediary circumlocutional construction which is not attested. The orthography is logogramic; see the Chinese entry's definitions, specifically “to explain; to present; to state”.

Verb

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白 (*SOLPO-)

  1. to inform a superior; to report
  2. an auxiliary verb or suffix honoring the direct or indirect object of the main verb [from c. 865.]
  3. an auxiliary verb or suffix honoring the subject of the main verb
    Synonym: 賜 (*-si)
    • c. 1250, Interpretive gugyeol glosses to the Humane King Sutra:
      口良中常利說法爲白乎隱矣
      IP-akuy SYANG-i SYEL.PEP-ho-so(l)p-wo-l to-y
      In [honorable your] constant preaching of the Dharma from the mouth
      (N.B. Gugyeol glyphs are given in non-abbreviated forms.)

Descendants

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  • Middle Korean: ᄉᆞᆲ다 (solpta, “to report to a superior”)
    • Early Modern Korean: ᄉᆞᆯ오다 (solwota, “to report to a superior”)
      • Korean: 사뢰다 (saroeda, “to report to a superior”)
    • Jeju: ᄉᆞᆯ루다 (sawlluda, “to tell, speak to a superior”)
  • Middle Korean: -ᅀᆞᇦ- (-zoW-, verbal honorific suffix for the direct or indirect object) (see there for further descendants)
  • ⇒ Middle Korean: ᄉᆞᆯ피다 (sòlphí-tá, “to look closely, to observe”) (with the causative suffix 히 (Yale: -hi))
    • Korean: 살피다 (salpida, “to look closely, to observe”)

References

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  • 황선엽 (Hwang Seon-yeop), 이전경 (Yi Jeon-gyeong), 하귀녀 (Ha Gwi-nyeo), 이용 (Yi Yong), 박진호 (Park Jin-ho), 김성주 (Kim Seong-ju), 장경준 (Jang Gyeong-jun), 서민욱 (Seo Min-uk), 이지영 (Yi Ji-yeong), 서형국 (Seo Hyeong-guk). (2009), 석독구결사전/釋讀口訣辭典 [Dictionary of interpretive gugyeol], Bakmunsa, →ISBN, pages 168—169
  • 남풍현 (Nam Pung-hyeon) (2011), “古代韓國語의 謙讓法 助動詞 '白/ᄉᆞᆲ'과 '內/아'의 發達 [The development of the Old Korean humble auxiliary verbs '白 SOLP-' and '內 *A-']”, in Gugyeol Yeon'gu, volume 26, pages 131–166

Vietnamese

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Han character

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白: Hán Việt readings: bạch (薄(bạc)陌(mạch)切(thiết))[1][2][3]
白: Nôm readings: bạch[1][2][3], bạc[1][3], trắng[1]

  1. (only in compounds) chữ Hán form of bạch (“white”)
  2. chữ Nôm form of bạc (“silver”)

Compounds

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References

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Zhuang

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Verb

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白

  1. Sawndip form of baeg (“to be tired; to gasp”)