鬼

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鬼 U+9B3C, 鬼
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9B3C
← 鬻
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 鬽 →
⿁ U+2FC1, ⿁
KANGXI RADICAL GHOST
← ⿀
 		Kangxi Radicals ⿂ →
⻤ U+2EE4, ⻤
CJK RADICAL GHOST
← ⻣
 		CJK Radicals Supplement ⻥ →

Translingual

Stroke order
Mainland China
Stroke order
Stroke order
(cursive)

Han character

鬼 (Kangxi radical 194, 鬼+0, 10 strokes in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean, 9 strokes in mainland China, cangjie input 竹山戈 (HUI) or 竹戈 (HI) or 竹田竹戈 (HWHI), four-corner 26213 or 26513, composition ⿱甶⿺儿厶(HTJKV) or ⿸⿻白丿⿺乚厶(G))

  1. Kangxi radical #194, ⿁.

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 1460, character 30
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 45758
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1993, character 19
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4427, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+9B3C

Chinese

trad. 鬼
simp. # 鬼
2nd round simp. ⿸⿻丿日乚
Wikipedia has articles on:

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 鬼
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Characters in the same phonetic series (鬼) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
謉 *tkuːlʔ, *krul
瑰 *kuːl, *ɡuːl
傀 *kuːl, *kʰuːlʔ
藱 *kuːl
魁 *kʰuːl
磈 *kʰuːlʔ, *qulʔ
塊 *kʰuːls, *kʰruːds
嵬 *ŋɡuːl, *ŋɡuːlʔ
隗 *ŋɡuːlʔ
槐 *ɡuːl, *ɡruːl
瘣 *ɡuːlʔ
廆 *ɡuːlʔ
溾 *ɡuːlʔ, *qruːl
螝 *ɡuːls, *krul
褢 *ɡruːl
騩 *krul, *kruls, *kul
愧 *kruls
媿 *kruls
聭 *kruls
餽 *ɡruls
鬼 *kulʔ
魏 *ŋɡuls
巍 *ŋul
犩 *ŋul, *ŋuls

Pictogram (象形) – a kneeling man or figure with an ugly face (甶). The ugly face could be a mask. The lower right “dot” is a small 厶; it is a residual tail that was added later – compare 离. Related to 畏 (variant 𠂽), which originally depicts a ghost standing with a stick in hand.

Compare 異 (“different, strange”), in which the 田 also derives from a face and indicates a mask. Compare also 禺, in which the top component represents either a mask or a monkey's head.

Etymology

Unknown. May be related to:

See also 詭 (OC *krolʔ, “to deceive; peculiar”).

Pronunciation

Note:
  • 2jy - colloquial;
  • 2kue - literary.
Rime
Character 鬼
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 見 (28)
Final (韻) 微 (21)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 居偉切
Baxter kjw+jX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/kʉiX/
Pan
Wuyun 		/kʷɨiX/
Shao
Rongfen 		/kiuəiX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/kujX/
Li
Rong 		/kiuəiX/
Wang
Li 		/kĭwəiX/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/kwe̯iX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		guǐ
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		gwai2
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 鬼
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		guǐ
Middle
Chinese 		‹ kjwɨjX ›
Old
Chinese 		/*k-ʔujʔ/
English ghost

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 鬼
Reading # 1/1
No. 4689
Phonetic
component 		鬼
Rime
group 		微
Rime
subdivision 		2
Corresponding
MC rime 		鬼
Old
Chinese 		/*kulʔ/

Definitions

鬼

  1. ghost; apparition; spirit (Classifier: 隻／只)
    這房子常常鬧鬼。 [MSC, trad.]
    这房子常常闹鬼。 [MSC, simp.]
    Zhè fángzi chángcháng nàoguǐ.
    This house is haunted.
  2. devil; demon
    鬼才知道呢！  ―  Guǐ cái zhīdào ne!  ―  How should I know?! (literal: The devil only knows! Similar to: "god knows")
  3. (Can we verify(+) this sense?)goblin
  4. stealthy; tricky; furtive
  5. sinister plot; dirty trick
    心裡有鬼／心里有鬼  ―  xīnlǐ yǒuguǐ  ―  to have a guilty conscience
  6. devilish; damned; ghastly
    鬼天氣／鬼天气  ―  guǐ tiānqì  ―  damned weather
  7. (informal) clever; smart; quick
    這孩子鬼得很！／这孩子鬼得很！  ―  Zhè háizi guǐ dehěn!  ―  This kid is amazingly smart!
  8. (derogatory) fool; blockhead; guy; moral imbecile
    那個老鬼又來了。 [MSC, trad.]
    那个老鬼又来了。 [MSC, simp.]
    Nàge lǎoguǐ yòu lái le.
    That geezer is coming again.
  9. Derogatory name for people with a flaw or vice. -ard
    煙鬼／烟鬼  ―  yānguǐ  ―  heavy smoker
    酒鬼  ―  jiǔguǐ  ―  alcoholic
    懶鬼／懒鬼  ―  lǎnguǐ  ―  lazybones
  10. (intimate) imp; urchin
    小鬼  ―  xiǎoguǐ  ―  imp
    機靈鬼／机灵鬼  ―  jīlíngguǐ  ―  crafty child
  11. (regional, derogatory, usually in compounds) Caucasian or Western person
    鬼佬 [Cantonese]  ―  gwai2 lou2   ―  gweilo (derogatory term for a white person)
  12. (Cantonese) traitor; rat; mole
  13. (Cantonese, ball games) opponent trying to steal the ball
  14. (Cantonese, inserted in certain adjectives) so; very
  15. (Cantonese) suspicious
  16. (mildly vulgar) the hell
    什麼鬼233／什么鬼233  ―  shénme guǐ 233  ―  what the hell LOL
    我點鬼記得！ [Cantonese, trad.]
    我点鬼记得！ [Cantonese, simp.]
    ngo5 dim2 gwai2 gei3 dak1!
    How the hell am I supposed to remember?!
    你在搞什麼鬼？／你在搞什么鬼？  ―  Nǐ zài gǎo shénme guǐ?  ―  What the hell are you doing?
    你搞乜鬼呀？ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]
    nei5 gaau2 mat1 gwai2 aa3?
    What the hell are you doing?
  17. (mildly vulgar) who the hell; what the hell
    鬼知道！  ―  Guǐ zhīdào!  ―  Devil knows!
    有鬼人知咩！ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]
    jau5 gwai2 jan4 zi1 me1!
    Who the hell knows!
    鬼叫你…… [Cantonese]  ―  gwai2 giu3 nei5......   ―  Who the hell told you to... → No one told you to...
    有鬼用 [Cantonese]  ―  jau5 gwai2 jung6   ―  has what use (what the hell use it has) → is damn worthless, is of damn-all use

Synonyms

  • (ghost):
Dialectal synonyms of 鬼 (“ghost”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 鬼
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 鬼, 鬼魂, 亡靈, 亡魂, 幽靈, 幽魂
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 鬼
Taiwan 鬼
Singapore 鬼, 好兄弟
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 鬼
Jiaoliao Mandarin Yantai (Muping) 鬼
Central Plains Mandarin Wanrong 鬼
Xi'an 鬼
Xining 鬼
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) 鬼
Lanyin Mandarin Ürümqi 鬼
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 鬼, 二五子
Guilin 鬼
Liuzhou 鬼, 矮老子
Dagudi (Maliba) 鬼
Reshuitang (Longling) 鬼
Mae Salong (Lancang) 鬼
Mae Sai (Tengchong) 鬼
Oudomxay 鬼
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 鬼
Yangzhou 鬼
Cantonese Guangzhou 鬼
Hong Kong 鬼, 污糟嘢, 嗰啲嘢
Dongguan 鬼
Singapore (Guangfu) 鬼, 好兄弟
Gan Nanchang 鬼
Lichuan 鬼
Hakka Meixian 鬼
Yudu 鬼
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 鬼, 鬼仔
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 鬼, 鬼仔
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 鬼, 鬼仔
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 鬼
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 鬼, 鬼仔
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 鬼
Huizhou Jixi 鬼
Jin Taiyuan 鬼
Northern Min Jian'ou 鬼
Eastern Min Fuzhou 鬼
Southern Min Xiamen 鬼
Quanzhou 鬼
Zhangzhou 鬼
Tainan 鬼仔
Penang (Hokkien) 鬼
Singapore (Hokkien) 鬼, 好兄弟
Manila (Hokkien) 鬼
Singapore (Teochew) 鬼
Wu Shanghai 鬼, 野客, 徐天老爺
Suzhou 鬼
Hangzhou (Fuyang) 鬼, 老本煙
Wenzhou 鬼
Jinhua 鬼
Xiang Changsha 鬼, 矮路子, 浸老倌, 田几么, 田老倌
Xiangxiang 鬼
Loudi 鬼
Hengshan 鬼
  • (clever):

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of “clever”):

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (鬼):
  • → Japanese: 鬼(き) (ki)
  • → Korean: 귀(鬼) (gwi)
  • → Vietnamese: quỷ (鬼)

Others:

References

Japanese

Kanji

鬼

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

  • Go-on: き (ki, Jōyō)←き (ki, historical)←くゐ (kwi, ancient)
  • Kan-on: き (ki, Jōyō)
  • Kun: おに (oni, 鬼, Jōyō)

Compounds

Compounds

Etymology 1

鬼 (oni): two demon-ogres.
Kanji in this term
鬼
おに
Grade: S
kun'yomi
 鬼 on Japanese Wikipedia

From Old Japanese.[1]

Thought to be derived from 隠 (on, “to hide; hidden from sight”).[1][2][3]

Pronunciation

Noun

鬼(おに) • (oni) 

  1. ghost
    異(い)国(こく)の鬼(おに)
    ikoku no oni
    a ghost of a foreign country
  2. evil spirit, demon, ogre
    • 938, Minamoto no Shitagō, Wamyō Ruijushō, volume 1, page 32:
      [6]
      人神 周易云、人神曰鬼、居偉反、和名於邇、或説云、於邇者、隠音之訛也、鬼物隠而不欲顯形、故以稱也。
      (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  3. (figurative) someone of remarkable or diabolical energy or ability, a demon
    彼(かの)女(じょ)は仕(し)事(ごと)の鬼(おに)だ。
    Kanojo wa shigoto no oni da.
    She is a demon for work.
  4. "it" in a game of tag/hide and seek (鬼ごっこ onigokko, "pretend spirits")
Synonyms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
鬼
き
Grade: S
on'yomi

Proper noun

鬼(き) • (Ki) 

  1. (Chinese astronomy) the Ghost constellation, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions
    Hypernyms: 朱雀, 二十八宿

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
  5. ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  6. ^ Minamoto, Shitagō with Kyōto Daigaku Bungakubu Kokugogaku Kokubungaku Kenkyūshitu (931–938) Shohon Shūsei Wamyō Ruijushō: Honbunhen (in Japanese), Kyōto: Rinsen, published 1968, →ISBN.

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 鬼 (MC kjw+jX). Recorded as Middle Korean 귀〯 (kwǔy) (Yale: kwǔy) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): ~
  • Phonetic hangul:
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

鬼 (eumhun 귀신 귀 (gwisin gwi))

  1. hanja form? of 귀 (“ghost; spirit”)

Compounds

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.

Vietnamese

Han character

鬼: Hán Việt readings: quỷ
鬼: Nôm readings: khuỷu, quẽ, quỉ, sưu

  1. chữ Hán form of quỷ (“any generic ugly, mischievous or evil spirit”).

Compounds

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