末

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

末 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 木十 (DJ), four-corner 5090₀, composition ⿻一木)

Derived characters

• 𠇱, 𠖾, 𠰌, 𡊉, 妺, 帓, 𢗿, 抹, 沫, 𠅒, 昩, 枺, 𣧣, 㶬, 䏞, 皌, 𤿗, 眜, 砞, 𥘯, 秣, 袜, 粖, 𥿉(𬘚), 䍪, 𮋥, 𦥦, 𬟼, 𮘀, 𧿴, 𮠢, 𱋊, 𣔍, 𫈪, 𣖛, 𫖀, 靺, 韎, 䬴, 𩠿, 𩢖, 䱅(𱇚), 䴲, 𬗱, 𫤳, 𣝖
• 𫖼, 𩗂, 𠅍, 𤿖, 𬑉, 𡘮, 𣖢, 𩈘, 𩑷, 𩿣, 𣞄, 㭆, 㭐, 茉, 𥬎, 𪜑, 唜, 𬰠

Descendants

• ま
• マ

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 509, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14420
• Dae Jaweon: page 891, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1150, character 2
• Unihan data for U+672B

Chinese

Glyph origin

Ideogram (指事) : a tree (木) with its top highlighted with an extra stroke, implying the meaning of “apex”; contrast 本, 朱.

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Definitions

末

1. tip; treetop

   末梢  ―  mòshāo  ―  tip; end

   • 明足以察秋毫之末，而不見輿薪。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     明足以察秋毫之末，而不见舆薪。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Míng zúyǐ chá qiūháo zhī mò, ér bùjiàn yúxīn.

     y eyesight is sharp enough to examine the point of an autumn hair, but I do not see a cart-load of firewood.

2. (by extension) effect; result

   本末  ―  běnmò  ―  cause and effect

3. late or the last stage; conclusion; close

   Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)

   月末  ―  yuèmò  ―  month-end

   明末清初  ―  Míng mò Qīng chū  ―  late-Ming and early-Qing era

   文末提到  ―  wén mò tídào  ―  Toward the end of the article, it was mentioned…

4. final; the last; concluding; closing; terminal

   Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)

   末代  ―  mòdài  ―  the last (in one's lineage)

   末日  ―  mòrì  ―  doomsday; apocalypse

   末法時期／末法时期  ―  mò fǎ shíqī  ―  Dharma-ending age

5. insignificant; trivial; inferior; low-priority; low-class

   捨本逐末／舍本逐末  ―  shěběnzhúmò  ―  pursuing the unimportant while neglecting the essential

   • 此大會也，曷為末言爾？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     此大会也，曷为末言尔？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE

     Cǐ dàhuì yě, héwèi mò yán ěr?

     This was an important convention; why was it framed with words suggesting insignificance?

6. powder; fine particulate matter

   粉末  ―  fěnmò  ―  powder

7. (literary, dated) not; none; no (negative indicator)

   Synonyms: 未 (wèi), 莫, 無／无

   • 雖欲從之，末由也已。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     虽欲从之，末由也已。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Suī yù cóng zhī, mò yóu yě yǐ.

     Though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so.

   • 子曰：「不曰『如之何如之何』者，吾末如之何也已矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐyuē: “Bù yuē ‘rúzhīhé rúzhīhé’ zhě, wú mò rúzhīhé yě yǐ yǐ.”

     The Master said, "When a man is not in the habit of saying, 'What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?' I can indeed do nothing with him."

   • 末不亦樂乎堯舜之知君子也？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     末不亦乐乎尧舜之知君子也？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE

     Mò bùyì lèhū Yáoshùn zhī zhī Jūnzǐ yě?

     Is it not (literally, a double negative) also a joyful truth, that the ancient sages like Yao and Shun had known that a Noble One would go on to keep their teachings alive?

8. mo (a category of male roles in traditional Chinese theatre and opera)

Compounds

Etymology 2

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

末

1. Same as 麼／么 (me).

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

末 (Northern Wu)

1. Used to mark a conditional subordinate clause.

   要是儂一家頭拿勿到末，叫個人來幫忙。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
   要是侬一家头拿勿到末，叫个人来帮忙。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

   ⁵iau-zy ⁶non ⁷iq-ka-deu ⁶nau-veq-tau-meq ⁵ciau-gheq ⁶gnin ⁶le ¹paon-maon [Wugniu]

   If you can’t carry it on your own, ask for someone to help.

   儂勿去蘇州末，要告訴我一聲。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
   侬勿去苏州末，要告诉我一声。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

   From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309

   ⁶non ⁸veq-chi ¹su-tseu-meq ⁵iau ⁵kau-su ⁶ngu ⁷iq-san [Wugniu]

   If you're not going to Suzhou, let me know.

2. Used to mark the topic in a topic-comment construction.

   新衣裳末，我已經買了兩件。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
   新衣裳末，我已经买了两件。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

   From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309

   ¹shi-i-zaon-meq ⁶ngu ⁵i-cin ⁶ma-leq ⁶lian-ci [Wugniu]

   As for the new clothes, I've already bought two of them.

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. tip, top
2. end, terminal

Readings

• Go-on: まっ (ma'); まつ (matsu, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: ばつ (batsu, Jōyō)
• Kun: うら (ura, 末); うれ (ure, 末); おわり (owari, 末わり)^{←をはり (wofari, 末はり, historical)}; すえ (sue, 末, Jōyō)^{←すゑ (suwe, 末, historical)}

Compounds

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) すえ (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

末(すえ) • (sue) ^{←すゑ (suwe)?}

1. the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot

      Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)

   2. a treetop

      Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

2. the tip or end of something

   Synonyms: 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)

3. the top or peak of a mountain

   Synonyms: 頂 (itadaki), 山頂 (sanchō)

4. the edge or verge of a road or field

   Synonym: 外れ (hazure)

5. a descendant

   Synonyms: 足末 (anasue), 子孫 (shison)

6. the future, later, after

   Synonyms: (future) 未来 (mirai), (future) 将来 (shōrai), (later) 後 (nochi)

7. the end of a period of time

   Synonyms: 終わり (owari), 末期 (makki)

8. (by extension) old age, the end period of a lifetime

   Synonym: 晩年 (bannen, literally “evening years”)

9. (by extension) a degraded world, a world with low morals and corrupt politics

   Synonym: 末の世 (sue no yo)

10. the end of a month, the latter third of a month

    Synonym: 下旬 (gejun)

11. some time considerably later
12. the result, outcome, or trace, remains of something having been done

    Synonyms: (result) 結果 (kekka), 名残 (nagori, “trace, remains”)

    思(おも)い悩(なや)んだ末(すえ)

    omoinayanda sue

    at the end of deliberation

13. the direction in which someone has gone or will go

    Synonym: 方向 (hōkō)

14. the youngest or last child

    Synonym: 末子 (sueko)

15. youth, childhood

    Synonym: 幼少 (yōshō)

16. the lowest seat, the seat at the foot of a table; the lowest rank

    Synonyms: 末座 (matsuza), 末席 (masseki), 下座 (shimoza)

17. the last two seven-mora stanzas or lines of a 短歌 (tanka) poem

    Synonyms: 下の句 (shimo no ku), 下句 (shimoku)

18. the end of a sentence or word

    Synonyms: (of a sentence) 文末 (bunmatsu), (of a word) 語尾 (gobi)

19. the latter portion of a book or serial

    Synonym: 後編 (kōhen)

20. the origin, the starting point

    Synonyms: (origin) 元 (moto), (starting point) 起点 (kiten)

21. (historical) the interior rooms of a palace or manor where maids worked; a maid who worked in such a household

    Synonym: 御末 (osue)

22. a low class or grade; an item of low class or grade

    Synonyms: (low class or grade) 下級 (kakyū), (item of low class or grade) 下級品 (kakyūhin), (low class or grade) 下等 (katō), (item of low class or grade) 下等品 (katōhin)

23. something minor, a trifle
24. downstream

    Synonyms: 川下 (kawashita), 下流 (karyū)

25. (kagura, music) in a 神楽 (kagura) performance, the seats on the right side facing the altar or shrine; the performers playing in these seats

    Synonym: 末方 (suekata)

Etymology 2

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

末(うら) • (ura) 

1. (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot

      Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)

   2. a treetop

      Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

2. (archaic) the tip or end of something

   Synonyms: 末 (sue), 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)

Etymology 3

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

末(うれ) • (ure) 

1. (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot

      Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)

   2. a treetop

      Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

Etymology 4

From Middle Chinese 末 (MC mat).

First attested in Japanese in 1120.

Noun

末(まつ) • (matsu) 

1. powder

   Synonyms: 粉 (kona), 粉末 (funmatsu)

2. (theater) in traditional Chinese theater, an extra, a minor part

   Synonym: (extra or minor part in any theatrical tradition) 端役 (hayaku)

Suffix

末(まつ) • (-matsu) 

1. the end of a period of time

See also

• Appendix:Gikun_Usage_in_Meiji_Version_of_Japanese_Bible/苗裔

References

Korean

Hanja

末 (eumhun 끝 말 (kkeut mal))

1. (끝): the end, last, low
2. (가루): flour, powder
3. (허드레): something coarse, improper, inferior, trivial
   • 1431: 鄕藥採取月令 十二月 (향약채취월령 십이월, hyang-yag-chaechwi-wolryeong sib-iwol):

     芰實鄕名末栗'"`UNIQref0000006DQINU`"' '"`UNIQref0000006EQINU`"' (기실향명말밤, gisilhyangmyeongmalbam, "The folk name of the water caltrop fruit is coarse chestnut.")

     芰實鄕名 末栗 (gisilhyangmyeongmalbam, gisil-hyangmyeong-malbam , "The folk name of the water caltrop fruit is coarse chestnut .)

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Compounds

References

Vietnamese

Han character

末: Hán Nôm readings: mạt, mất, mặt, mết, mệt, mượt

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