式微

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 式微. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 式微, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 式微 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 式微 you have here. The definition of the word 式微 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of式微, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Chinese

(meaningless particle)
tiny; minute; clandestine
tiny; minute; clandestine; hide; elegant; exquisite
 
trad. (式微)
simp. #(式微)

Etymology

Rebracketing of 式微 (OC *hljɯɡ mɯl, “meaningless initial particle + to decline”) in a verse of the Classic of Poetry, poem 36 (《詩經·邶風·式微》):

式微式微
式微式微
From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Shì wēi shì wēi, hú bù guī?
Reduced! Reduced! Why not return?

Pronunciation



Rime
Character
Reading # 1/1 1/1
Initial () (26) (4)
Final () (134) (21)
Tone (調) Checked (Ø) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open Closed
Division () III III
Fanqie
Baxter syik mj+j
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/ɕɨk̚/ /mʉi/
Pan
Wuyun
/ɕɨk̚/ /mʷɨi/
Shao
Rongfen
/ɕiek̚/ /miuəi/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/ɕik̚/ /muj/
Li
Rong
/ɕiək̚/ /miuəi/
Wang
Li
/ɕĭək̚/ /mĭwəi/
Bernhard
Karlgren
/ɕi̯ək̚/ /mwe̯i/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
shi wéi
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
sik1 mei4
BaxterSagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character
Reading # 1/2 2/2 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
shì shì wēi
Middle
Chinese
‹ syik › ‹ syik › ‹ mjɨj ›
Old
Chinese
/*l̥ək/ /*l̥ək/ /*məj/
English pattern to wipe small

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * 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
Reading # 1/1 1/1
No. 14980 12801
Phonetic
component
Rime
group
Rime
subdivision
0 1
Corresponding
MC rime
Old
Chinese
/*hljɯɡ/ /*mɯl/

Verb

式微

  1. (literary) to decline; to wane

Synonyms

Derived terms