許

Translingual

Han character

許 (Kangxi radical 149, 言+4, 11 strokes, cangjie input 卜口人十 (YROJ), four-corner 0864₀, composition ⿰訁午)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1151, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 35298
• Dae Jaweon: page 1618, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3946, character 9
• Unihan data for U+8A31

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hŋaʔ) : semantic 言 (“speech; words”) + phonetic 午 (OC *ŋaːʔ).

Etymology 1

“place”

Related to 所 (OC *s-qʰ<r>aʔ, “place; that which”), 處 (OC *t.qʰaʔ, “to be at”), 處 (OC *t.qʰaʔ-s, “place”) (Baxter and Sagart, 2014; also cf. Pan and Tao, 1999).

Pronunciation

Definitions

許

1. to allow; to permit

   只許看，不許吃／只许看，不许吃  ―  zhǐ xǔ kàn, bùxǔ chī  ―  it is only permitted to look at it but not to eat it

2. to promise

   許下承諾／许下承诺  ―  xǔ xià chéngnuò  ―  to make a promise

3. to betroth

   我們家姑娘已經許了人家兒了。 [dialectal Mandarin, trad.]
   我们家姑娘已经许了人家儿了。 [dialectal Mandarin, simp.]

   Wǒmen jiā gūniang yǐjīng xǔ le rénjiar le.

   Our miss has already been betrothed.

4. to praise

   稱許／称许  ―  chēngxǔ  ―  to praise

5. maybe; perhaps
6. (literary) approximately

   下午三時許／下午三时许  ―  xiàwǔ sān shí xǔ  ―  about 3 pm

7. so; such

   許久／许久  ―  xǔjiǔ  ―  a long time

   • 問渠哪得清如許，為有源頭活水來。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     问渠哪得清如许，为有源头活水来。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 12th century, 朱熹 (Zhu Xi), 觀書有感

     Wèn qú nǎ dé qīng rú xǔ, wèi yǒu yuántóu huóshuǐ lái.

     ask it why it can be so clear. It is because running water continuously flows in.

8. (literary) place

   • 先生不知何許人也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     先生不知何许人也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 4th century, Tao Yuanming, Life of the 'Master of Five Willows' (《五柳先生傳》)

     Xiānshēng bùzhī héxǔrén yě.

     It is unknown where "The Master" hails from.

Compounds

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: hứa (“to promise”)

Etymology 2

Originally written as 鄦 (OC *hmaʔ), 𱢬 (among others) in pre-Qin texts. By the Han dynasty, it was homophonic with and written as 許, originally meaning “to allow; to promise”, due to voiceless nasals losing nasality, turning into x- (Zhang, 2022b).

Pronunciation

Definitions

許

1. a surname

   許慎／许慎  ―  Xǔ Shèn  ―  Xu Shen (author of Shuowen Jiezi)

Compounds

Descendants

• → English: Hsu, Hsü, Hui, Koh, Sheu, Syu, Xu
• → Tagalog: Co, Ko (via Hokkien)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Definitions

許

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

Compounds

Etymology 4

Zheng (2017) suggests that it is from 爾 (OC *njelʔ, “that”). Compare 耳 (OC *njɯʔ, “ear”) > Min Nan hī.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

Definitions

許

1. (Gan, Min, Wu) that

Synonyms

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 5 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. permit
2. approve
3. place below, vicinity

Readings

• Go-on: こ (ko)
• Kan-on: きょ (kyo, Jōyō)
• Kun: ゆるす (yurusu, 許す, Jōyō); ばかり (bakari, 許り); もと (moto, 許)

Compounds

Noun

Korean

Hanja

許 (eumhun 허락할 허 (heorakhal heo))

1. Hanja form^? of 허 (“approve”).

Compounds

• 허락 (許諾, heorak, “consent; permission”)

Vietnamese

Han character

許: Hán Nôm readings: hứa, hớ, hở, hử, hữ, ngỏ

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