淵

淵 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+8 in Chinese, 水+9 in Japanese, 11 strokes in Chinese, 12 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 水中難中 (ELXL), four-corner 3210₀, composition ⿰氵𣶒)

1. gulf, abyss, deep
2. surge up, bubble up, gush forth

• 𨖳, 奫, 𪔱, 𩁵, 𭏰, 鼝, 㘤, 𱩞

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 632, character 8
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 17692
• Dae Jaweon: page 1035, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1681, character 1
• Unihan data for U+6DF5

Historical forms of the character 淵
Shang
Oracle bone script

Originally 𣶒 in oracle bone script; Pictogram (象形) of a basin with water. Bronze inscriptions added vertical strokes resembling riverbanks around the character, and the semantic component 氵.

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

淵

1. abyss; deep water

   • 探淵者知千仞之深，縣繩之數也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     探渊者知千仞之深，县绳之数也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Lord Shang, circa 3^rd century BCE, translated based on J.J.L. Duyvendak's version

     Tàn yuān zhě zhī qiān rèn zhī shēn, xiàn shéng zhī shù yě.

     If, in measuring an abyss, you know that it is a thousand fathoms deep, it is owing to the figures which you find by dropping a string.

   • 且汝夢為鳥而厲乎天，夢為魚而沒於淵，不識今之言者，其覺者乎，夢者乎？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     且汝梦为鸟而厉乎天，梦为鱼而没于渊，不识今之言者，其觉者乎，梦者乎？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Qiě rǔ mèng wèi niǎo ér lì hū tiān, mèng wèi yú ér mò yú yuān, bù shí jīn zhī yán zhě, qí jiào zhě hū, mèng zhě hū?

     Moreover you dream that you are a bird, and seem to be soaring to the sky; or that you are a fish, and seem to be diving in the deep. But you do not know whether we that are now speaking are awake or in a dream.

2. deep; profound

   • 淵兮，似萬物之宗。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     渊兮，似万物之宗。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tao Te Ching, 4^th century BCE

     Yuān xī, sì wànwù zhī zōng.

     How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honoured Ancestor of all things!

3. a surname

• “淵”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(Jinmeiyō kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 渊)

1. abyss
2. edge
3. deep pool

• Go-on: えん (en)^{←ゑん (wen, historical)}
• Kan-on: えん (en)^{←ゑん (wen, historical)}
• Kun: ふち (fuchi, 淵)、かたい (katai, 淵い)、はなわ (hanawa, 淵)

From Middle Chinese 淵 (MC 'wen). Recorded as Middle Korean 연 (yen) (Yale: yen) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

淵

Wikisource

淵 (eumhun 못 연 (mot yeon))

1. hanja form^? of 연 (“abyss”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

淵: Hán Nôm readings: uyên

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