令

Translingual

Han character

令 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+3, 5 strokes, cangjie input 人戈弓戈 (OINI), four-corner 8030₇, composition ⿱亽龴(G) or ⿱亼龴(HTV) or ⿱亼𰆊(JK))

Derived characters

Stroke order

Traditional or simplified Japanese or Korean

• 伶, 冷, 呤, 坽, 姈, 岭, 泠, 彾, 駖, 怜, 炩, 拎, 昤, 朎, 柃, 玲, 𪽏, 𫤚, 𪾧, 𠄖, 砱, 羚, 狑, 紷, 聆, 蛉, 軨(𫐉), 鈴(铃), 魿, 竛, 齡(齢/龄), 刢, 𬾂, 瓴, 翎, 領(领), 鴒(鸰), 𬹴, 邻, 㡵, 命, 𩇙, 岺, 苓, 笭, 閝(𫠂), 零, 𩆖, 囹

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 93, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 387
• Dae Jaweon: page 198, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 111, character 10
• Unihan data for U+4EE4

• Unihan data for U+F9A8

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 令
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	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j21073 j21074 j21075 j21076 j21077 j21078 j21079 j21080 j21081 j21082 j21083 j21084 j21085 j21086 j21087 j21088 j21089 j21090 j21091 j21092 j21093 j21094 j21095 j21096 j21097 j21098 j21099 j21100 j21101 j21102 j21103 j21104 j21105 j21106 j21107 j21108 j21109 j21110 j21111 j21112 j21113 j21114 j21115 j21116 j21117 j21118 j21119 j21120 j21121 j21122 j21123 j21124 j21125 j21126 j21127 j21128 j21129 j21130 j21131 j21132 j21133 j21134 j21135 j21136 j21137 j21138 j21139 j21140 j21141 j21142 j21143 j21144 j21145 j21146 j21147 j21148 j21149 j21150 j21151 j21152 j21153 j21154 j21155 j21156 j21157 j21158 j21159 j21160 j21161 j21162 j21163 j21164 j21165 j21166 j21167 j21168 j21169 j21170 Bronze inscriptions b13977 b13978 b13979 b13980 b13981 b13982 b13983 b13984 b13985 b13986 b13987 b13988 b13989 b13990 b13991 b13992 b13993 b13994 b13995 b13996 b13997 b13998 b13999 b14000 b14001 b14002 b14003 b14004 b14005 b14006 b14007 b14008 b14009 b14010 b14011 b14012 b14013 b14014 b14015 b14016 b14017 b14018 b14019 b14020 b14021 b14022 b14023 b14024 b14025 b14026 b14027 b14028 b14029 b14030 b14031 b14032 b14033 b14034 b14035 b14036 b14037 b14038 b14039 b14040 Small seal script s06555 Transcribed ancient scripts L37178 L37179 L37180 L37181 L37182 L37183 L37184 L37185 L37186 L24398 L24399 L24400 L24401 L24402 L24403 L24404 L24405 L24406 L24407 L24408 L24409
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).

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 亼 + 卩.

Etymology 1

Usually thought to be related to 命 (OC *mreŋs, “order”) (Schuessler, 2007). As a surname, 令 has many origins, one of them is 令狐 (Línghú).

Pronunciation

Definitions

令

1. to order; to command
2. order; command; directive
3. to make (someone do something); to cause; to allow

   令人  ―  lìngrén  ―  to make someone (do something); to make people

4. (historical) governor; magistrate (official title)
5. (literary, or in compounds) good; excellent

   • 令問笑談，非錢不發。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     令问笑谈，非钱不发。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 錢神論, by 魯褒 of the Western Jin dynasty

     Lìngwèn xiàotán, fēi qián bù fā.

     Kind greetings, laughing while talking; these do not happen without money.

   • 于時、初春令月、氣淑風和、梅披鏡前之粉、蘭薰珮後之香。 [MSC, trad.]
     于时、初春令月、气淑风和、梅披镜前之粉、兰薰佩后之香。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: c. 759 CE, Man’yōshū

     Yú shí, chūchūn lìngyuè, qì shū fēng hé, méi pī jìng qián zhī fěn, lán xūn pèi hòu zhī xiāng.

     It was in new spring, in a fair month,
     When the air was clear and the wind a gentle breeze.
     Plum flowers blossomed a beauty's charming white
     And the fragrance of the orchids was their sweet perfume.

6. (literary, or in compounds) time; season
7. (literary, or in compounds) drinker's wager game; drinking game
8. (respectful) your

   令尊  ―  lìngzūn  ―  your father

   令嬡／令嫒  ―  lìng'ài  ―  your daughter

9. (poetry) Short for 小令 (“ditty”).
10. a surname

Synonyms

• (to order):

• (order):

• (to cause): 使 (shǐ), 讓／让 (ràng), (Cantonese) 令到 (ling6 dou3), 搞到 (gaau2 dou3)
• (season):

• (drinker's wager game): 酒令 (jiǔlìng)

Descendants

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Definitions

令

1. Used in 令狐 (Línghú).
2. ^† Used in 令利.
3. ^† Used in 令俜.
4. ^† Used in 令星.
5. ^† Used in 脊令.
6. ^† Original form of 瓴 (líng).

Etymology 3

Borrowed from English ream.

Pronunciation

Definitions

令

1. Classifier for reams of paper.

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

Definitions

令

1. ^† Only used in 令居 (“ancient county in modern Gansu”).

Etymology 5

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: りょう (ryō)^{←りやう (ryau, historical)}
• Kan-on: れい (rei, Jōyō)
• Kun: しむ (shimu, 令む)
• Nanori: おさ (osa)^{←をさ (wosa, historical)}; なり (nari); のり (nori); はる (haru); よし (yoshi)

Compounds

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 令 (MC ljeng), 令 (MC ljengH), or 令 (MC lengH).

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

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) れ​ー (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

令(れい) • (rei) 

1. an order, command, decree

   Synonyms: 言い付け (iitsuke), 命令 (meirei)

2. (historical) in ancient China, a regional governor or magistrate
3. (historical) in the early Meiji period, the forerunner of a 知事 (chiji, “prefectural governor”)
4. (historical) in the Kamakura period, the vice-minister of the 政所 (mandokoro, “office of financial affairs”)
5. (historical) under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system, This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

   Synonym: 坊令 (bōrei)

6. (rare, law, historical) an administrative and civil code developed during the Qin dynasty that was, alongside the 律 (ritsu), spread throughout East Asia especially Japan where it was further revised into the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system

Affix

令(れい) • (rei) 

1. act, law, ordinance, rule
2. law, ordinance, regulation
3. (historical) high-ranking official or magistrate
4. (obsolete) admonition, teaching
5. (rare) beautiful, excellent, fine, good
6. honorific prefix added before a term of kinship to show respect to someone else's relative

Derived terms

• 令和(れいわ) (Reiwa): the Reiwa era
• 生(しょう)類(るい)憐(あわれ)みの令(れい) (Shōrui Awaremi no Rei)

Proper noun

令(れい) • (Rei) 

1. a female given name

Etymology 2

/rjau/ → /rjɔː/ → /rjoː/

From Middle Chinese 令 (MC ljeng), 令 (MC ljengH), or 令 (MC lengH).

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

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) りょ​ー (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

令(りょう) • (ryō) ^{←りやう (ryau)?}

1. (law, historical) an administrative and civil code developed during the Qin dynasty that was, alongside the 律 (ritsu), spread throughout East Asia especially Japan where it was further revised into the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system

Derived terms

• 令(りょうの)義解(ぎげ) (Ryō no Gige)

Affix

令(りょう) • (ryō) ^{←りやう (ryau)?}

1. order, command, decree
2. law, ordinance, rule

Proper noun

令(りょう) • (Ryō) ^{←りやう (ryau)?}

1. a female given name

References

Korean

Etymology

“to cause; to order; etc.”

From Middle Chinese 令 (MC ljeng).

“an order; a command”

From Middle Chinese 令 (MC ljengH).

Pronunciation

• (initial position)
  • (an order; to cause; to order; etc.):
    • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
    • Phonetic hangul:
  • (in 영감 (令監, yeonggam)):
    • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
    • Phonetic hangul:
      • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
• (non-initial position)
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
  • Phonetic hangul: