獅子

Chinese

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 獅子 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• Sai-á-hiong (Southern Min)

Etymology

See 獅／狮 (shī).

Pronunciation

Noun

獅子

1. lion (Classifier: 隻／只 m c; 頭／头 m)

   • 天王道：「那廂因你欲為人師，所以惹出這一窩獅子來也。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     天王道：「那厢因你欲为人师，所以惹出这一窝狮子来也。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE, translation from The Journey to the West (2012), by Anthony C. Yu

     Tiānwáng dào: “Nà xiāng yīn nǐ yù wéi rénshī, suǒyǐ rě chū zhè yī wō shīzǐ lái yě.”

     “It’s precisely because you desired to act as someone’s teacher,” said the devarāja, “that you got into trouble with a den of lions.”

2. (Buddhism) bodhisattva
3. (architecture) Short for 石獅子／石狮子 (shíshīzi, “foo dog”).

   • 趕快改改風水，在門口安裝一對獅子吧。 [MSC, trad.]
     赶快改改风水，在门口安装一对狮子吧。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1997, 邱傑, 《台灣黑白切》, page 46

     Gǎnkuài gǎigǎi fēngshuǐ, zài ménkǒu ānzhuāng yī duì shīzi ba.

     Quickly change the fengshui; let's install a pair of foo dogs at the entrance.

   • 一些工廠或大型店鋪，都會擺放一對大獅子，而擺放獅子的地方，未必是煞方，這時，獅子便會產生招財的力量。 [MSC, trad.]
     一些工厂或大型店铺，都会摆放一对大狮子，而摆放狮子的地方，未必是煞方，这时，狮子便会产生招财的力量。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2005, 菜夫子, 《家居的奧秘》

     Yīxiē gōngchǎng huò dàxíng diànpù, dōu huì bǎifàng yī duì dà shīzi, ér bǎifàng shīzi de dìfang, wèibì shì shàfāng, zhèshí, shīzi biàn huì chǎnshēng zhāocái de lìliàng.

     Some factories or big stores would put a pair of large foo dogs, and where the foo dogs are put may not be shafang. At this time, foo dogs would create the power of bringing wealth in.

   • 在清代，只有身為皇家貴族或官至某高品級才可以在門口放獅子，否則只有在官衙門等「尊貴」之地才可放獅子。 [MSC, trad.]
     在清代，只有身为皇家贵族或官至某高品级才可以在门口放狮子，否则只有在官衙门等「尊贵」之地才可放狮子。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2010, 蔣匡文, 《建築師揀樓智慧》, page 98

     Zài Qīngdài, zhǐyǒu shēnwéi huángjiā guìzú huò guān zhì mǒu gāo pǐnjí cái kěyǐ zài ménkǒu fàng shīzi, fǒuzé zhǐyǒu zài guānyá mén děng “zūnguì” zhī dì cái kě fàng shīzi.

     In the Qing dynasty, only the royalty and nobility or officials of certain high ranks could put foo dogs at their entrance, otherwise foo dogs were only put in "honourable" places such as the entrance of a yamen.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Others:

• → Bouyei: siyzij
• → English: Shih Tzu
  • → Japanese: シーズー (shīzū)
• → Zhuang: saeceij

Proper noun

獅子

1. (astrology, astronomy) Short for 獅子座／狮子座 (Shīzizuò, “Leo”).
2. (～鄉) Shizi (a mountain indigenous township in Pingtung County, Taiwan)

See also

• 老虎 (lǎohǔ)
• 獅虎／狮虎 (shīhǔ)

Japanese

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 獅子 (ʃˠiɪ t͡sɨ^X, literally “lion + (diminutive suffix)”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) し​し (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

獅(し)子(し) or 獅子(シシ) • (shishi) 

1. Synonym of ライオン (raion, “lion”) (big cat Panthera leo)
   • 1999 July 5, “レオ・ウィザード [Leo Wizard]”, in BOOSTER 3, Konami:

     黒(くろ)いマントをはおった魔(ま)術(じゅつ)師(し)。正(しょう)体(たい)は言(こと)葉(ば)を話(はな)すシシ。

     Kuroi manto o haotta majutsushi. Shōtai wa kotoba o hanasu shishi.

     A wizard in a black cloak who is actually a talking lion.

   • 2007 October 20, Izawa, Hiroshi with Yamada, Kotaro, “最(さい)終(しゅう)話(わ)　それぞれの道(みち)へ”, in ファイアーエムブレム 覇者の剣 [Fire Emblem: Sword of Champions], Jump Remix edition, volume 5 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, page 350:

     若(わか)き獅(し)子(し)ロイ

     Wakaki Shishi Roi

     Roy, Young Lion

2. (by extension from the notion of lions being "kings") the Buddha, a Buddha
3. short for 獅子舞 (shishimai), a traditional Chinese lion dance
4. short for 獅子頭 (shishigashira), the lion mask traditionally worn for the lion dance
5. short for 除夜の獅子 (joya no shishi, “New Year's lion”), a person dressed in costume as for a lion dance who goes door to door begging on New Year's Eve
6. a guardian statue commonly found outside temples and shrines, often with a komainu statue, the tradition for which is said to have come over from the Korean peninsula

Usage notes

This term is generally not used in modern Japanese when referring to the animal; the English-derived ライオン (raion) is typically used instead.

Synonyms

• (animal): ライオン (raion)
• (Buddha): 仏(ほとけ) (hotoke)

Derived terms

• 獅(し)子(し)猿(ざる) (shishizaru): lion tamarin

Related terms

• (statue): 狛(こま)犬(いぬ) (komainu)

Proper noun

獅(し)子(し) • (Shishi) 

1. the name of the lion dance 囃子 (hayashi, “musical accompaniment”) in various noh and kabuki plays
2. the first piece of music played in a 伎楽 (gigaku) performance (more commonly spelled 師子)

References

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

Korean

Noun

獅子 • (saja) (hangeul 사자)

1. Hanja form^? of 사자 (“lion”).

Vietnamese

Noun

獅子

1. chữ Hán form of sư tử (“lion”).