環

Translingual

Han character

環 (Kangxi radical 96, 玉+13, 17 strokes, cangjie input 一土田中女 (MGWLV), four-corner 1613₂, composition ⿰𤣩睘)

Derived characters

• 𡈵

Related characters

• 环 (Simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 743, character 17
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 21287
• Dae Jaweon: page 1152, character 14
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1140, character 5
• Unihan data for U+74B0

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 環
Western Zhou	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Bronze inscriptions File:ACC-b00554.svg b00554 File:ACC-b00555.svg b00555 File:ACC-b00556.svg b00556 Small seal script s00138 Transcribed ancient scripts File:ACC-L06252.svg L06252 L04052
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷraːn) : semantic 玉 (“jade”) + phonetic 睘 (OC *ɡʷeŋ).

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Definitions

環

1. circle; ring; hoop

   指環／指环  ―  zhǐhuán  ―  finger ring

   耳環／耳环  ―  ěrhuán  ―  earring

2. link
3. to surround

   環繞／环绕  ―  huánrào  ―  to surround

   環法／环法  ―  Huán Fǎ  ―  Tour de France

   • 玉女九人環爐而立 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     玉女九人环炉而立 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 牛僧孺《玄怪錄》, 杜子春

     yùnǚ jiǔ rén huán lú ér lì

     Nine beautiful maidens stood in a circle around the furnace

4. (chemistry) ring (a group of atoms linked by bonds to form a closed chain in a molecule)

   苯環／苯环  ―  běnhuán  ―  benzene ring

   雜環／杂环  ―  záhuán  ―  heterocycle

5. (mathematics) ring
6. (archery, shooting) ring
7. a surname

Synonyms

• (link): 環節／环节 (huánjié)

Compounds

Descendants

Etymology 2

From Cantonese 灣／湾 (waan1-4, “bay”), used in certain place names. The low-falling tone change is possibly borrowed from Siyi Yue (Lau and Tang, 2020).

Pronunciation

Definitions

環

1. (used in place names in Hong Kong and Macau and compounds) bay

   四環九約／四环九约 [Cantonese]  ―  sei³ waan⁴ gau² joek³   ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Compounds

Japanese

Shinjitai	環
Kyūjitai	環󠄁 環+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	環󠄃 環+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. circle, ring, wheel

Readings

• Go-on: げん (gen)^{←げん (gen, historical)←ぐゑん (gwen, ancient)}
• Kan-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)^{←くわん (kwan, historical)}
• Kun: たまき (tamaki, 環); まわる (mawaru, 環る); めぐらす (megurasu, 環らす); めぐる (meguru, 環る); ゆびまき (yubimaki, 環); わ (wa, 環)
• Nanori: たま (tama); たまき (tamaki); わ (wa)

Compounds

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 環 (MC hwaen).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) か​ん (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

環(かん) • (kan) ^{←くわん (kwan)?}

1. ring
2. (algebra) ring

Prefix

環(かん) • (kan-) ^{←くわん (kwan)?}

1. circum-

Etymology 2

From Old Japanese.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

環(わ) • (wa) 

1. a ring or circle shape (such as a ring for a finger, or Saturn's rings)
2. a hoop (such as for a barrel)
3. a wheel (as of a vehicle)

Synonyms

• (circle shape): 丸(まる) (maru), 円形(えんけい) (enkei)
• (finger ring): 指輪(ゆびわ) (yubiwa)
• (barrel hoop): 箍(たが) (taga)
• (vehicle wheel): 車輪(しゃりん) (sharin)

Etymology 3

Originally a compound of 手 (ta, “hand”, ancient combining form of modern te) +‎ 巻き (maki, “winding, wrapping”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 巻く maku, “to wind, to wrap”), from the way that the bracelet would be worn around the wrist.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) た​まき (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

環(たまき) • (tamaki) 

1. an ancient bracelet strung with jewels or bells and worn at the elbow
2. a longer tube-shaped gauntlet to protect the hand during archery
3. (obsolete) an ancient jewel or other stone in the shape of a ring

Synonyms

• (archery gauntlet): 手覆(たおおい) (taōi)
• (ring): 指輪(ゆびわ) (yubiwa), 環 (yubimaki) (see below)

Etymology 4

Originally a compound of 指 (yubi, “finger”, noun) +‎ 巻き (maki, “winding, wrapping”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 巻く maku, “to wind, to wrap”), from the way that the ring would be worn around a finger.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

環(ゆびまき) • (yubimaki) 

1. (obsolete) an ancient jewel or other stone in the shape of a ring

Synonyms

• 指輪(ゆびわ) (yubiwa), 環 (tamaki) (see above)

References

Korean

Hanja

環 • (hwan) (hangeul 환)

1. jade ring or bracelet
2. ring

Vietnamese

Han character

環: Hán Nôm readings: hoàn

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.