王

See also: 𤣩, 𡈼, 壬, 玉, and 主
王 U+738B, 王
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-738B
← 玊
[U+738A] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 玌 →
[U+738C]
王 U+2F929, 王
CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F929
← 獺
[U+2F928] 		CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement 㺬 →
[U+2F92A]

Translingual
Stroke order
Stroke order (Japan)
Stroke order

Han character

王 (radical 96, 玉+0, 4 strokes, cangjie input 一土 (MG), four-corner 10104, composition ⿱一土)

  1. Shuōwén Jiězì radical №5

Derived characters
  • Index:Chinese radical/王

References
  • KangXi: page 727, character 2
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 20823
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1137, character 1
  • Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1099, character 10
  • Unihan data for U+738B

Chinese
simp. and trad.
 王
variant forms 𠙻

Glyph origin
Historical forms of the character 王
Shang Western Zhou Spring and Autumn Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Bronze inscriptions Bronze inscriptions Chu Slip and silk script Qin slip script Ancient script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Bronze inscriptions

b00446

b00447

b00448

b00449

b00451

b00453

b00454
Small seal script

s00099

s00100

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 (王) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
皇 *ɡʷaːŋ
惶 *ɡʷaːŋ
遑 *ɡʷaːŋ
堭 *ɡʷaːŋ
煌 *ɡʷaːŋ
餭 *ɡʷaːŋ
騜 *ɡʷaːŋ
艎 *ɡʷaːŋ
隍 *ɡʷaːŋ
湟 *ɡʷaːŋ
徨 *ɡʷaːŋ
篁 *ɡʷaːŋ
蝗 *ɡʷaːŋ, *ɡʷraːŋ, *ɡʷraːŋs
凰 *ɡʷaːŋ
偟 *ɡʷaːŋ
媓 *ɡʷaːŋ
韹 *ɡʷaːŋ, *ɡʷraːŋ
葟 *ɡʷaːŋ
皝 *ɡʷaːŋʔ
汪 *qʷaːŋ, *qʷaːŋs, *qʷaŋʔ
尪 *qʷaːŋ
迋 *kʷaŋʔ, *kʰʷaŋ, *ɡʷaŋ, *ɢʷaŋs
逛 *kʷaŋʔ
誑 *kʷaŋs, *ɡʷaŋ, *kʷaŋs
匡 *kʰʷaŋ
筐 *kʰʷaŋ
框 *kʰʷaŋ
眶 *kʰʷaŋ
誆 *kʰʷaŋ, *ɡʷaŋs
邼 *kʰʷaŋ
恇 *kʰʷaŋ
劻 *kʰʷaŋ
洭 *kʰʷaŋ
軭 *kʰʷaŋ, *ɡʷaŋ
狂 *ɡʷaŋ, *ɡʷaŋs
軖 *ɡʷaŋ
鵟 *ɡʷaŋ
俇 *ɡʷaŋʔ
王 *ɢʷaŋ, *ɢʷaŋs
蚟 *ɢʷaŋ
彺 *ɢʷaŋ
旺 *ɢʷaŋs
諻 *qʰʷraːŋ
喤 *qʰʷraːŋ, *ɡʷraːŋ
瑝 *ɡʷraːŋ
锽
揘 *ɡʷaŋ

The traditional interpretation is that the three horizontal strokes represent Heaven, Man and Earth. The vertical stroke is the king, the one who connects them together. Older representation of the character shows a man like 大 or 天 above a horizontal stroke.

The modern interpretation is that the character is a pictogram (象形) of either an axe or a crown, one of two symbols of the king's power. A ceremonial axe was kept near the throne, and was used for performing rituals in ancient China.

Compare the unrelated 玉 (“jade”) and 主 (“master”).

Etymology 1

Unknown.

Speculations exist about 王's connection to 尪 (OC *qʷaːŋ) "lame" (Zuo) and 狂 (OC *ɡʷaŋ, *ɡʷaŋs) "mad", based on theories about the connection between ancient Chinese kingship and shamanism (Chen 1936, Chang 1983, Keightley 1995).

Schuessler (2007) provides two etymologies:

王's connection to 皇 (OC *ɡʷaːŋ) "sovereign", as proposed by Boodberg (1980), is unclear.

Pronunciation
Note: hêng5 - surname.
Rime
Character 王
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 云 (35)
Final (韻) 陽 (106)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 雨方切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /ɦʉɐŋ/
Pan
Wuyun		 /ɦʷiɐŋ/
Shao
Rongfen		 /ɣiuɑŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /ɦuaŋ/
Li
Rong		 /ɣiuaŋ/
Wang
Li		 /ɣĭwaŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /iwaŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 wáng
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 王
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 wáng
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ hjwang ›
Old
Chinese		 /*ɢʷaŋ/
English king

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 王
Reading # 1/2
No. 12742
Phonetic
component		 王
Rime
group		 陽
Rime
subdivision		 0
Corresponding
MC rime		 王
Old
Chinese		 /*ɢʷaŋ/

Definitions

王

  1. king; monarch
  2. champion
    棋王  ―  qíwáng  ―  chess champion
    拳王  ―  quánwáng  ―  boxing champion
  3. † grand; great
  4. † (of feudal monarchs) to see the emperor
  5. A surname​: Wang; Wong (Hong Kong)
Descendants
Sino-Xenic (王):

Others:

Compounds
Derived terms from 王

Etymology 2

王 (OC *ɢʷaŋ) with *-s suffix.

Pronunciation
Rime
Character 王
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 云 (35)
Final (韻) 陽 (106)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 于放切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /ɦʉɐŋH/
Pan
Wuyun		 /ɦʷiɐŋH/
Shao
Rongfen		 /ɣiuɑŋH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /ɦuaŋH/
Li
Rong		 /ɣiuaŋH/
Wang
Li		 /ɣĭwaŋH/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /iwaŋH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 wàng
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 王
Reading # 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 wàng
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ hjwangH ›
Old
Chinese		 /*ɢʷaŋ-s/
English be king

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 王
Reading # 2/2
No. 12746
Phonetic
component		 王
Rime
group		 陽
Rime
subdivision		 0
Corresponding
MC rime		 迋
Old
Chinese		 /*ɢʷaŋs/

Definitions

王

  1. † to reign; to rule, to be a king
  2. † Alternative form of 旺 (wàng, “flourishing; prosperous”).

Compounds
Derived terms from 王

Further reading

Japanese

Kanji
王

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Etymology
Kanji in this term
王
おう
Grade: 1
on’yomi

/wau/ → /wɔː/ → */woː/ → /oː/

From Middle Chinese 王 (MC ɦʉɐŋ, “king”).

Pronunciation

Noun

王 (hiragana おう, rōmaji ō, historical hiragana わう)

  1. a king
    越 (えつ)王 (おう)勾 (こう)践 (せん)
    Etsuō Kōsen
    King Goujian of Yue
    • 1999 March 6, “緑りょく樹じゅの霊れい王おう [Spirit King of Greenery]”, in Starter Boxスターターボックス, Konami:
      青 (あお)々 (あお)と生 (お)い茂 (しげ)る木 (き)に囲 (かこ)まれて暮 (く)らす、森 (もり)を治 (おさ)める若 (わか)き王 (おう)。
      Aoao to oishigeru ki ni kakomarete kurasu, mori o osameru wakaki ō.
      The youthful king of the forest, living within thriving evergreen trees.
    • 1999 August 26, “紅こう葉ようの女じょ王おう [Queen of Autumn Leaves]”, in BOOSTER 4, Konami:
      鮮 (あざ)やかな紅 (こう)葉 (よう)に囲 (かこ)まれて暮 (く)らす、緑 (りょく)樹 (じゅ)の霊 (れい)王 (おう)のお妃 (ひ)。
      Azayaka na kōyō ni kakomarete kurasu, Ryokuju no Reiō no o-hi.
      The consort of the Spirit King of Greenery, living within vibrant autumn leaves.
    • 2001 March 10 [Dec 16 1998], Katou, Motohiro, “ミネルヴァの梟ふくろう [Owl of Minerva]”, in Ｑ.Ｅ.Ｄ. 証しょう明めい終しゅう了りょう [Q.E.D. Quod Erat Demonstrandum], volume 1 (fiction), 9th edition, Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN, page 102:
      例 (たと)えばスペードのＫ (キング)はイスラエルのダビデ王 (おう)
      Tatoeba supēdo no kingu wa Isuraeru no Dabide Ō
      For example, the king of spades is King David of Israel
  2. an East Asian ruling prince
    興 (こう)道 (どう)王 (おう)
    Kōdō Ō
    Prince Hưng Đạo
    • 1996 November 1, Fujisaki, Ryū, “第だい５回かい　宮きゅう中ちゅう孤こ軍ぐん [Chapter 5: All Alone in the Palace]”, in 封ほう神しん演えん義ぎ [Investiture of the Gods], volume 1 (fiction, paperback), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, page 146:
      武 (ぶ)成 (せい)王 (おう)
      宰 (さい)相 (しょう)・太 (たい)子 (し)と並 (なら)ぶ最 (さい)高 (こう)位 (い)の官 (かん)職 (しょく)である。
      殷 (いん)帝 (てい)国 (こく)の軍 (ぐん)務 (む)の全 (ぜん)権 (けん)をまかされている
      Busei Ō
      Saishō Taishi to narabu saikōi no kanshoku de aru.
      In Teikoku no gunmu no zenken o makasareteiru
      Prince Wucheng
      The highest-ranking official who can be a match for the Chancellor and the Crown Prince.
      He is currently entrusted with full control over the military of the Yin Empire

See also

Affix

王 (hiragana おう, rōmaji ō, historical hiragana わう)

  1. king

Derived terms

References
  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

王 (eumhun 임금 왕 (imgeum wang))

Noun

王 • (wang) (hangeul 왕)

  1. Hanja form? of 왕 (“king, monarch”).

Vietnamese

Han character

王: Hán Việt readings: vương (雨(vũ)方(phương)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5], vượng[5]
王: Nôm readings: vương[1][2][3][4][5][6], vướng[1][7][5]

  1. Hán tự form of vương (“king”).
  2. Hán tự form of Vương (“surname; male given name”).
  3. Nôm form of vướng (“to be entangled in; to be involved in”).
  4. Hán tự form of vượng (“to reign”).

Compounds
Compounds

References
  1. Nguyễn (2014).
  2. Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. Trần (2004).
  4. Bonet (1899).
  5. Génibrel (1898).
  6. Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
  7. Hồ (1976).
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