正月

Chinese

Etymology

According to Guangyun () and Zhu Xi (朱熹) (), the character 正 here was originally pronounced zhèng (like 政); according to Zhang Shoujie (張守節); its special pronunciation zhēng (like 征) originated from the naming taboo on Qin Shi Huang's real name 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) ().

Sagart (2023) instead proposes that actually 正 here wrote 隻 (OC *tek, “one”), in context where the latter's coda *-k had been nasalized by the onset of 月 (OC *ʷat). He reconstructs underlying *tek-ŋʷat, whence *teŋ-ŋʷat, whose appropriate readable form was 正月.

Pronunciation

Noun

正月

1. the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar

   • 正月季春元日乙丑：余畜孫書也擇其吉金以作鑄缶。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     正月季春元日乙丑：余畜孙书也择其吉金以作铸缶。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: circa 6th century BCE, Inscription on 欒書缶 Luan Shu's fou, transcribed and translated by Caboara (2010:12).

     Zhēngyuè jìchūn yuánrì yǐchǒu: yú xù sūn Shū yě zé qí jíjīn yǐ zuò zhù fǒu.

     In the third month of spring, first month (of the year), first day of Yichou, I the pious grandson, Shu, selected those solid metals to cast a fou-barrel.

   • 正月繁霜、我心憂傷。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     正月繁霜、我心忧伤。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhēngyuè fán shuāng, wǒ xīn yōushāng.

     In the first month the hoar-frost abounds, and my heart is wounded with sorrow.

   • 正月蜂相見，非時鳥共聞。 [MSC, trad.]
     正月蜂相见，非时鸟共闻。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 8th century CE, 杜甫 (Du Fu)《南楚》"In the South, Chu"; translated by Owen (2017)

     Zhēngyuè fēng xiāng jiàn, fēishí niǎo gòng wén.

     In the first month bees appear; unseasonable, different birds heard at the same time.

2. (Xiamen Hokkien) first three days of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar
3. (dated) January

Synonyms

• (first month): 陬月 (Zōuyuè), 寅月 (Yínyuè), 端月 (duānyuè), 元月 (Yuányuè), 初月, 嘉月, 開歲／开岁, 新正 (xīnzhēng), 隅月, 孟月 (mèngyuè), 始春, 元春
• (first three days): (Hokkien) 正月正頭／正月正头, 正月正時／正月正时

Derived terms

See also

• Month of the Year: 正月 (zhēngyuè)
  • Previous: 臘月／腊月 (Làyuè)
  • Next: 杏月 (Xìngyuè)

References

Japanese

Alternative forms

• お正月(しょうがつ) (o-shōgatsu)

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 正月 (MC tsyeng ngjwot)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しょーがつ​ (Odaka – )
• (Tokyo) しょーがつ (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

正(しょう)月(がつ) • (shōgatsu) 

1. January
2. first month of the lunar year
3. New Year

Synonyms

• (New Year):
  • 元旦(がんたん) (gantan): New Year's Day
  • 元日(がんじつ) (ganjitsu): New Year's Day

See also

• 初詣(はつもうで) (hatsumōde)
• 初日(はつひ)の出(で) (hatsuhinode)
• 門松(かどまつ) (kadomatsu)
• 御御籤(おみくじ) (omikuji)
• 年賀状(ねんがじょう) (nengajō)

References

Korean

Noun

正月 • (jeong'wol) (hangeul 정월)

1. Hanja form^? of 정월 (“the first month of the traditional Korean calendar”).