文字

Chinese

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 文字 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• 文字 (Cantonese)
• 文字 (Classical)
• bûn-jī (Southern Min)
• 文字 (Wu)

Pronunciation

Noun

文字

1. written symbols; writing; script; text; characters (Classifier: 種／种; 個／个)
2. writing style wording; language (Classifier: 種／种; 個／个)

Synonyms

• (writing): 筆墨／笔墨 (bǐmò)

Derived terms

Related terms

• 書寫系統／书写系统 (shūxiě xìtǒng)
• 文學／文学 (wénxué)
• 語文／语文 (yǔwén)
• 語言／语言 (yǔyán)

Descendants

Japanese

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 文字 (MC mjun dziH, literally “writing + character”). Compare modern Cantonese reading man⁴ zi⁶.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) も​んじ (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

文(もん)字(じ) • (monji) 

1. a letter, a character (symbol for a sound or a word)
2. (linguistics) script, writing system
3. (specific to Japanese) a written mora, a kana
4. writing in general, written words
5. (by extension from the “writing” sense) a document
6. (by extension from the “writing” sense) reading and writing
7. (by extension from the “writing” sense) studies

Usage notes

This reading is less common than moji, below.

Etymology 2

/mond͡ʑi/ → /mod͡ʑi/

Sound shift from monji above.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) も​じ (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

文(も)字(じ) • (moji) 

1. a letter or character (symbol for a sound or a word)
2. (linguistics) script, writing system
3. (specific to Japanese) a written mora, a kana
4. writing in general, written words
5. (by extension from the “writing” sense) a document
6. (by extension from the “writing” sense) reading and writing
7. (by extension from the “writing” sense) studies
8. (chiefly Kansai) the tails side of a coin, the side with writing on it
9. (chiefly Kansai, by extension) a coin, money

Usage notes

This reading is more common than monji above.

The tails and coin, money senses are specific to this moji reading.

Derived terms

References

Korean

Noun

文字 • (munja) (hangeul 문자)

1. Hanja form^? of 문자 (“letter”).

Vietnamese

Noun

文字

1. chữ Hán form of văn tự (“writing system, script”).