串

Stroke order

串 (Kangxi radical 2, 丨+6, 7 strokes, cangjie input 中中 (LL), four-corner 5000₆, composition ⿻吕丨)

• 𠳡, 𪭶, 梙, 𬊑, 𦀵, 賗(𬥸), 𠁷, 鋛, 𢖀, 𬵓, 𥣽, 𫡍, 𮦰, 𫡎, 𠁸, 𫡌, 𠁺, 𠁻, 𬟳, 𢈢, 𤶱, 窜, 𡮕, 𥭾, 𫔢, 𠁖, 患, 𤊌, 𫍁, 𨭳

Chinese Wikisource has digitized text of the Kangxi Dictionary entry for 串:

]

Wikisource

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 80, character 2
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 80
• Dae Jaweon: page 162, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 30, character 2
• Unihan data for U+4E32

• Unihan data for U+F905

Historical forms of the character 串
Shang	Warring States	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Bronze inscriptions b00680 b00681 b00682
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).

Pictogram (象形) – objects strung together.

Cognate with 穿 (OC *kʰljon, *kʰljons, “to pierce through; to wear”).

串

1. to string together; to link up
2. string; chain; series of objects

   • 昭陽宮裡梳妝閣上，有一雙黃金寶串，原是金聖宮手上帶戴。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     昭阳宫里梳妆阁上，有一双黄金宝串，原是金圣宫手上带戴。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE

     Zhāoyáng gōng lǐ shūzhuāng gé shàng, yǒu yī shuāng huángjīn bǎo chuàn, yuán shì Jīn shèng gōng shǒu shàng dài dài.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

3. skewer

   串燒／串烧  ―  chuànshāo  ―  food roasted on a skewer

   羊肉串  ―  yángròuchuàn  ―  mutton kebab

4. Classifier for strung, bunched or clustered objects.

   一串珠子  ―  yī chuàn zhūzǐ  ―  a string of beads

   一串鞭炮  ―  yī chuàn biānpào  ―  a string of firecrackers

   一串葡萄  ―  yī chuàn pútáo  ―  a bunch of grapes

5. to cross; to criss-cross; to traverse to; to mix (undesirably)
6. (literary, or in compounds) to gang up on; to conspire; to collaborate

   • 如今只消串出個人來嚇他一嚇，嚇出幾百兩銀子來，把丫頭白白送你做老婆。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     如今只消串出个人来吓他一吓，吓出几百两银子来，把丫头白白送你做老婆。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Jingzi, The Scholars, 1750 CE

     Rújīn zhǐ xiāo chuàn chū ge rén lái xià tā yī xià, xià chū jǐ bǎi liǎng yínzǐ lái, bǎ yātóu báibái sòng nǐ zuò lǎopó.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

7. to pay a visit to; to visit; to move about

   • 從小兒在東京時，只去行院人家串，那一箇行院不愛他！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     从小儿在东京时，只去行院人家串，那一个行院不爱他！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE

     Cóng xiǎo'ér zài dōngjīng shí, zhǐ qù xíngyuàn rénjiā chuàn, nà yī gè xíngyuàn bù ài tā!

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

8. (literary, or in compounds) to play a role; to act; to perform

   客串  ―  kèchuàn  ―  to give a guest performance

   • 客於襪中出玉笛，隨聲便串，曲終笛止。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     客于袜中出玉笛，随声便串，曲终笛止。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1740 CE, Pu Songling, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio

     Kè yú wà zhōng chū yù dí, suí shēng biàn chuàn, qū zhōng dí zhǐ.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

9. (chiefly Taiwan, Internet) thread
10. (Cantonese) to spell a word in Roman letters
11. (Cantonese, slang) cocksure; arrogant; cocky

    alt. forms: 寸 (cùn)

12. (Cantonese, slang) to humiliate; to provoke

    alt. forms: 寸 (cùn)

• (bunch):

• (to mix):

• (to gang up on):

• (to pay a visit):

• (to play a role):

• (to walk about):

• → Hong Kong English: inch (“cocky, etc.”) (semantic loan)

Cognate with 貫 (OC *koːn, *koːns, “to penetrate”).

串

1. ^† to get close to; to fawn on; to be obsequious to; to curry favor with
2. ^† people on intimate terms
3. ^† habit; custom

   • 國法禁拾遺，惡民之串以無分得也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     国法禁拾遗，恶民之串以无分得也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Guófǎ jìn shíyí, è mín zhī guàn yǐ wú fēn dé yě.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. ^† to joke; to banter

串

1. Used in 串夷.

   • 帝遷明德，串夷載路，天立厥配，受命既固。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     帝迁明德，串夷载路，天立厥配，受命既固。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Dì qiān míngdé, Huànyí zǎi lù, tiān lì jué pèi, shòumìng jì gù.

     God having brought about the removal thither of this intelligent ruler,
     The Kwan hordes fled away.
     Heaven raised up a helpmeet for him,
     And the appointment he had received was made sure.

• “串”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(Jōyō kanji)

From 串 (MC *tsyhwen, “skewer; traverse; visit; perform”):

• Go-on: せん (sen)
• Kan-on: せん (sen)
• Kun: くし (kushi, 串, Jōyō)、つらぬく (tsuranuku, 串く)

From 串 (MC kwaenH, “curry favor; custom, habit”):

• Go-on: けん (ken)^{←けん (ken, historical)←くゑん (kwen, ancient)}
• Kan-on: かん (kan)^{←くわん (kwan, historical)}
• Kun: なれる (nareru, 串れる)

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

串

Wikipedia ^ja

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Skewer

Wikipedia

/kusi/ → /kuɕi/

From Old Japanese.^[1] Appears in the Nihon Shoki, finished CE 720.

Cognate with 櫛 (kushi, “comb”).^[2]

• (Tokyo) くし (Odaka – )^[3]
• IPA^(key):

串(くし) • (kushi) 

1. a skewer, spit

   Synonyms: 串刺し (kushizashi), 焼き串 (yakigushi)

2. any slender object that can pierce other objects, especially:
   1. (Shinto) Short for 玉串 (tamagushi): a branch of a 榊 (sakaki) tree used as a Shinto offering
      • c. 1120–1140, Konjaku Monogatarishū (book 24, story 51)

        其(そ)の御(ご)幣(へい)の串(くし)に書(かき)付(つけ)て奉(たてまつ)りたりける

        sono gohei no kushi ni kakitsukete tatematsuritarikeru

        That branch of streamers, written and presented...

   2. Short for 幕串 (makugushi): a post used to hang a curtain
3. a candle's wick

   Synonym: 芯 (shin)

串(くし) • (Kushi) 

1. a surname

Clipping of プロクシ, from English proxy; possibly reinforced by the idea of "going through". Kanji is an ateji (当て字).

串(くし) • (kushi) 

1. (slang, computing) a proxy server

   Synonyms: プロキシ (purokishi), プロクシ (purokushi), プロクシサーバー (purokushi sābā), 串鯖 (kushisaba, literally “skewer mackerel”)

   中(ちゅう)国(ごく)串(くし)

   Chūgoku kushi

   a Chinese proxy

• 串(くし)鯖(さば) (kushisaba, “proxy server”, literally “skewer mackerel”)

From Middle Chinese 串 (MC kwaenH).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

串

Wikisource

串 (eumhun 익힐 관 (ikhil gwan))

1. hanja form^? of 관 (“to become habituated to something”)

From Late Middle Chinese 串 (LMC *tʂʰyan^H).

串 (eumhun 꿰미 천 (kkwemi cheon))

1. hanja form^? of 천 (“string; chain; skewer”)
2. hanja form^? of 관 (“to string; to thread; to skewer”)
3. hanja form^? of 천 (“receipt”)

Misreading of Middle Chinese 丳 (MC tsrheanX).

串 (eumhun 꼬챙이 찬 (kkochaeng'i chan))

1. hanja form^? of 찬 (“skewer”)

   Synonym: 丳 (찬 (chan))

Related to Middle Korean 곶다〮 (Yale: kwòctá).

串 (eumhun 땅 이름 곶 (ttang ireum got))

1. hanja form^? of 곶 (“used as a suffix in placenames”)
2. hanja form^? of 곶 (“cape”)

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

From Proto-Japonic *kusi.

Cognate with 櫛 (kusi, “comb”).^[1]

串 (kusi) (kana くし)

1. tine, stake, skewer: any slender object that can pierce other objects

• 串刺し (kusizasi)
• 澪標 (mi₁wotukusi)

• Japanese: 串 (kushi)

• 貫 (quán)^[1]

串: Hán Việt readings: quán (古(cổ)患(hoạn)切(thiết))^[2][1][3]
串: Nôm readings: xiên^[2], xuyên^[2], xuyến^[2], quán^[1]

1. chữ Hán form of quán (“to string an object”).