馘

Translingual

Han character

馘 (Kangxi radical 185, 首+8, 17 strokes, cangjie input 廿山戈口一 (TUIRM), four-corner 8365₀, composition ⿰首或)

1. cut off left ear
2. tally dead enemy

Derived characters

• 𢹖, 𩉕

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1428, character 13
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 44507
• Dae Jaweon: page 1954, character 17
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4501, character 21
• Unihan data for U+9998

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷrɯːɡ) : semantic 首 (“head”) + phonetic 或 (OC *ɡʷɯːɡ). This character largely displaced 聝 (OC *kʷrɯːɡ) in the received corpus of ancient classics. See also 𢦞.

Etymology

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

馘

1. (historical) severed left ear of a slain enemy (as trophy and tally for military merit)

   • 矯矯虎臣，在泮獻馘。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     矫矫虎臣，在泮献馘。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Jiǎojiǎo hǔchén, zài Pàn xiàn guó.

     His martial-looking, tiger leaders,
     Will here (at the Pan Gong) present the left ears .

2. (historical) to cut off the left ear of an enemy
3. (by extension) killed enemy; dead enemy

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

The pronunciation was uncertain due to the sparsity of attestation, namely one sentence in the Zhuangzi, which might have been affected by textual error. The following was based on those of 𤷇, whose reading in the 切韻 system would have been homophonic to that of 洫 (MC xwik) > Mandarin 洫 (xù).

Definitions

馘

1. The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
   1. cheek; face

      • 夫處窮閭阨巷，困窘織屨，槁項黃馘者，商之所短也；一悟萬乘之主，而從車百乘者，商之所長也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        夫处穷闾阨巷，困窘织屦，槁项黄馘者，商之所短也；一悟万乘之主，而从车百乘者，商之所长也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

        Fú chù qiónglǘ èxiàng, kùnjiǒng zhī jù, gǎoxiànghuángxù zhě, Shāng zhī suǒduǎn yě; yī wù wànchéng zhī zhǔ, ér cóngchē bǎichéng zhě, Shāng zhī suǒcháng yě.

        Living in a narrow lane of a poor mean hamlet, weaving sandals amid distress of poverty, with a weazen neck and yellow face - that is what I should find it difficult to do. But as soon as I come to an understanding with the Lord of a myriad carriages, to find myself with a retinue of a hundred carriages - that is wherein I excel.

   2. Alternative form of 𤷇 (xù, “headache; aching head”)

Compounds

References

• “馘”, 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–

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

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

Readings

• Go-on: かく (kaku)^{←くわく (kwaku, historical)}
• Kan-on: きゃく (kyaku)^{←きやく (kyaku, historical)←くゐやく (kwyaku, ancient)}
• Kun: みみきる (mimikiru, 馘る); くびきる (kubikiru, 馘る)

Compounds

• 馘(くび)になる (kubi ni naru)

Korean

Hanja

馘 (eum 괵 (goek))

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