雷

Translingual

Han character

雷 (Kangxi radical 173, 雨+5, 13 strokes, cangjie input 一月田 (MBW), four-corner 1060₃, composition ⿱⻗田)

Derived characters

• 擂, 檑, 鐳 (镭), 礌, 鱩, 𰀞, 蕾, 靐, 癗, 䨻

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1372, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 42245
• Dae Jaweon: page 1881, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 4060, character 2
• Unihan data for U+96F7

• Unihan data for U+F949

Chinese

Glyph origin

Ancient simplification of 靁, which was a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ruːl) : semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 畾 (OC *ruːl).

Etymology

The Northern Min initial s- may be due to the loss of a pre-initial which might have been a velar considering dialect forms in Henan, Hebei and Shanxi, e.g. Taiyuan Jin 忽雷 (hueh4 lui1) (Schuessler, 2007).

Perhaps from Sino-Tibetan. Compare Mizo râwl (“voice; cry (of an animal); sound”), Tibetan ཁྲོལ (khrol).

"spoiler"

Clipping of 捏他八雷 (niētābāléi), from Japanese ネタバレ (netabare).

"loyalty"

By homophony of 二 (ji⁶, “two”) and 義／义 (ji⁶, “spirit of loyalty”).

Pronunciation

Definitions

雷

1. thunder

   遠雷／远雷  ―  yuǎn léi  ―  distant thunder

   打雷  ―  dǎ léi  ―  to thunder

   平地一聲雷／平地一声雷  ―  píngdì yī shēng léi  ―  a sudden clap of thunder; (fig.) a sudden big change

2. (in compounds) lightning

   避雷針／避雷针  ―  bìléizhēn  ―  lightning rod

   雷擊／雷击  ―  léijī  ―  lightning strike

3. (military, weaponry, in compounds) explosive device; mine

   魚雷／鱼雷  ―  yúléi  ―  torpedo

   手雷  ―  shǒuléi  ―  grenade

   雷區／雷区  ―  léiqū  ―  minefield

   排雷  ―  páiléi  ―  to demine

4. (colloquial) to astonish; to shock
5. (colloquial) astonishment; surprise

   內容有雷／内容有雷  ―  nèiróng yǒu léi  ―  (slang) shocking content ahead

6. Short for 雷州 (Léizhōu, “Leizhou”).

   雷劇／雷剧  ―  léijù  ―  Leizhou opera

7. (neologism) burdensome
8. (neologism) to be burden to others
9. (Taiwan, neologism) plot spoiler

   Synonyms: 捏他 (niētā), 劇透／剧透 (jùtòu)

10. (Hong Kong Cantonese, triad slang) two
11. (Hong Kong Cantonese, slang) loyalty
12. a surname

Synonyms

• (thunder): 雷聲／雷声 (léishēng)
• (lightning): 閃電／闪电 (shǎndiàn)

Usage notes

• As a noun on its own, 雷 (léi) refers to thunder. In compounds, however, this character may also refer to lightning.
• Not all military explosive devices are called 雷 (léi). Another commonly used name is 彈／弹 (dàn), which is more often used with propelled explosive weapons.

Compounds

References

• “雷”, 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–
• “Entry #10313”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. thunder, lightning bolt

Readings

• Go-on: らい (rai, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: らい (rai, Jōyō)
• Kun: かみなり (kaminari, 雷, Jōyō); いかずち (ikazuchi, 雷)^{←いかづち (ikaduti, 雷, historical)}
• Nanori: あずま (azuma)^{←あづま (aduma, historical)}

Compounds

Etymology 1

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

雷

Wikipedia ^ja

English Wikipedia has articles on:

Thunder and Lightning

Wikipedia Wikipedia

Originally a compound of 神(かみ) (kami, “god, spirit”) + 鳴(な)り (nari, 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 鳴(な)る (naru)).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かみな​り (Nakadaka – )
• (Tokyo) かみなり​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

雷(かみなり) • (kaminari) 

1. thunder (loud sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air)

   Synonym: 雷鳴 (raimei)

2. lightning, thunderbolt

   Synonyms: 電, 稲妻 (inazuma); 稲光 (inabikari); 落雷 (rakurai)

   • 1999 February 4, “サンダー・キッズ [Thunder Kid]”, in Vol.1, Konami:

     雷(かみなり)をからだの中(なか)に蓄(ちく)電(でん)させている。泣(な)かせたときは危(き)険(けん)。

     Kaminari o karada no naka ni chikuden saseteiru. Nakaseta toki wa kiken.

     He stores lightning inside his body. He’s very dangerous when he cries.

   • 1999 March 1, “エレキッズ [Elekid]”, in BOOSTER 1, Konami:

     雷(かみなり)攻(こう)撃(げき)は意(い)外(がい)と強(つよ)い。甘(あま)く見(み)ると感(かん)電(でん)するぞ。

     Kaminarikōgeki wa igai to tsuyoi. Amaku miru to kanden suru zo.

     It has a surprisingly powerful lightning attack. However, its electrocution tends to be underestimated.

3. thunder god

Usage notes

This kaminari reading is the most common reading when used as a standalone noun.

Derived terms

Idioms

• 雷(かみなり)が落(お)ちる (kaminari ga ochiru, “thunder comes down → to be scolded severely by a superior, to be ripped a new one”)
• 雷(かみなり)三(みっ)日(か) (kaminari mikka)

See also

• 雷電(らいでん) (raiden, “thunder and lightning”)

Etymology 2

/kaminari/ → /kamʉnari/ → /kanːari/

Shift in pronunciation from kaminari above.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

雷(かんなり) • (kannari) 

1. (rare, archaic) Same as かみなり (kaminari) above

Derived terms

• 雷(かんなり)の陣(じん) (kannari no jin)

Proper noun

雷(かんなり) • (Kannari) 

1. (rare, archaic) Short for 雷鳴の壺 (Kannari no Tsubo): one of the five buildings in the imperial palace in 平安京 (Heian-kyō), modern-day Kyoto

Etymology 3

⟨ika tu ti⟩ → ⟨ikaduti⟩ → /ikad͡ʑut͡ɕi/ → /ikaʑut͡ɕi/

From Old Japanese.

Originally a compound of 厳(いか) (ika, “sternness, terribleness, imposingness”) + つ (tsu, Old Japanese possessive particle) + 霊(ち) (chi, “spirit, force, essence”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

雷(いかずち) • (ikazuchi) ^{←いかづち (ikaduti)?}

1. (archaic) thunder
2. (obsolete) something ferocious and imposing, a demon or devil

Proper noun

雷(いかずち) • (Ikazuchi) ^{←いかづち (ikaduti)?}

1. a surname

Etymology 4

Compound of 鳴(な)る (naru, “to cry out, to call”) + 神(かみ) (kami, “god, spirit”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

雷(なるかみ) • (narukami) 

1. (rare) thunder (the sound)
2. (rare) lightning, a thunderbolt

Proper noun

雷(なるかみ) • (Narukami) 

1. one of the eighteen styles of kabuki

   This sense is more commonly spelled as 鳴神.

Etymology 5

From Middle Chinese 雷 (MC lwoj).

Compare modern Mandarin 雷 (léi) and Cantonese 雷 (leoi⁴).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ら​い (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

雷(らい) • (rai) 

1. a thunder
2. lightning

Usage notes

Used more in compounds than on its own. As a standalone noun, the kaminari reading is the most common.

Derived terms

• 雷(らい)の間(ま) (rai no ma)
• 雷(らい)斧(ふ) (raifu)
• 機(き)雷(らい) (kirai)

Affix

雷(らい) • (rai) 

1. thunder
2. thunderous, noisy
3. famous
4. large, explosive weapon

Proper noun

雷(らい) • (Rai) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

References

Kikai

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Kun: はんまい (hanmai, 雷)

Noun

雷(はんまい) (hanmai) 

1. thunder

References

• “はんまい【雷】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 雷 (MC lwoj). Recorded as Middle Korean 뢰 (lwoy) (Yale: lwoy) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

雷

Wikisource

雷 (eumhun 우레 뢰 (ure roe), South Korea 우레 뇌 (ure noe))

1. Hanja form^? of 뢰/뇌 (“thunder; lightning bolt”).

   Synonym: 震 (진 (jin))

Compounds

References

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

Okinawan

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Kun: かんない (kannai, 雷)

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 雷 (kaminari).

Noun

雷(かんない) (kannai) 

1. thunder

References

• “かんない【雷】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

Old Japanese

Etymology

Originally a compound of 嚴 (ika, “sternness, terribleness, imposingness”) +‎ つ (tu, possessive particle) +‎ 靈 (ti, “spirit, force, essence”).

Noun

雷 (ikaduti) (kana いかづち)

1. thunder
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 3, first variant poem 235, first variant:
     , text here

     皇者神二四座者天雲之雷之上尓廬為流鴨

     opoki₁mi₁ pa kami₂ ni si maseba amakumo no₂ ikaduti no₂ upe₂ ni iporaseru ka mo

     Since our sovereign is a god, she builds a temporary palace above the thunder in the heavenly clouds.

2. demon or devil

Descendants

• Japanese: 雷 (ikazuchi)

See also

• 鳴神 (narukami₂)

References

Vietnamese

Han character

雷: Hán Nôm readings: lôi

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