咪

Translingual

Han character

咪 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 口火木 (RFD), four-corner 6909₄, composition ⿰口米)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 186, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3541
• Dae Jaweon: page 405, character 35
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 622, character 7
• Unihan data for U+54AA

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) : semantic 口 (“mouth; speech”) + phonetic 米 (OC *miːʔ).

Etymology 1

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪

1. meow
2. sound used to call a cat
3. Used in 咪咪 (mīmī, “(slang) breasts; tits; boobs”).

Compounds

Etymology 2

Contraction of 唔係／唔系 (m⁴ hai⁶).

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪 (Cantonese)

1. When used with 囉／啰 (lo¹) at the end of a phrase, used to spell out something obvious.

   本書咪已經還返畀你囉。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   本书咪已经还返畀你啰。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   bun² syu¹ mai⁶ ji⁵ ging¹ waan⁴ faan¹ bei² nei⁵ lo¹.

   I've already given the book back to you, haven't I?

2. When used with 囉／啰 (lo¹) or rising intonation at the end of a phrase, used to connect a condition to a result or suggestion.

   你想睇戲咪買飛囉。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   你想睇戏咪买飞啰。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   nei⁵ soeng² tai² hei³ mai⁶ maai⁵ fei¹ lo¹.

   If you want to watch a movie, then buy your tickets.

   你食埋咁多煎炸嘢咪好熱氣？ [Cantonese, trad.]
   你食埋咁多煎炸嘢咪好热气？ [Cantonese, simp.]

   nei⁵ sik⁶ maai⁴ gam³ do¹ zin¹ zaa³ je⁵ mai⁶ hou² jit⁶ hei³?

   If you're eating so much fried stuff, won't you build up a lot of internal heat?

3. Used as the negative of 係／系 (hai⁶) when asking a question.

   佢哋係咪返嗮屋企喇？ [Cantonese, trad.]
   佢哋系咪返嗮屋企喇？ [Cantonese, simp.]

   keoi⁵ dei⁶ hai⁶ mai⁶ faan¹ saai³ uk¹ kei² laa³?

   Did they all go home?

Etymology 3

Possibly a contraction of 唔使 (m⁴ sai²) (Bai, 2003).

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪

1. (Cantonese, imperative) don't

   咪咁多事啦！ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

   mai⁵ gam³ do¹ si⁶ laa¹!

   Don't be so nosy!

Synonyms

Compounds

Etymology 4

Borrowed from English microphone or mic.

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪 (Cantonese, Hakka)

1. microphone (Classifier: 支 c)

Synonyms

Compounds

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪

1. Only used in 咪唑 (mǐzuò, “imidazole”).

Etymology 6

Borrowed from English mile.

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪

1. (obsolete or Cantonese) mile

   • 蓋以七千餘咪之路線為吾人計劃所定者，皆在坦途。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     盖以七千余咪之路线为吾人计划所定者，皆在坦途。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1917-1920, s:zh:物質建設/第一計劃

     Gài yǐ qī qiān yú mī zhī lùxiàn wèi wú rén jìhuà suǒ dìng zhě, jiē zài tǎntú.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 青山公路18¾咪加多利灣泳灘 [Cantonese, trad.]
     青山公路18¾咪加多利湾泳滩 [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: Address plate of Kadoorie Beach

     cing¹ saan¹ gung¹ lou⁶ 18¾ mai¹ gaa¹ do¹ lei⁶ waan¹ wing⁶ taan¹

     Kadoorie Beach, 18¾ milestone, Castle Peak Road

2. (Cantonese, informal) mile per hour
3. (Cantonese, informal) kilometre per hour

   呢度行六十咪㗎咋喎。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   呢度行六十咪㗎咋㖞。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   nei¹ dou⁶ haang⁴ luk⁶ sap⁶ mai¹ gaa³ zaa³ wo³.

   You should only be driving at 60 km/h.

Etymology 7

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪 (Cantonese)

1. to study hard

Compounds

Etymology 8

Pronunciation

Definitions

咪 (Cantonese)

1. to peel with a knife
2. to pinch (with fingernails)

Etymology 9

Etymology 10

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

1. baa (bleating of a sheep)
2. meter

Readings

• Go-on: み (mi)
• Kan-on: び (bi)
• Kun: メートル (mētoru, 咪)

Korean

Hanja

咪 • (mi) (hangeul 미, revised mi, McCune–Reischauer mi)

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

Vietnamese

Han character

咪: Hán Nôm readings: mễ

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

References

• Nom Foundation