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Chinese
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium . Particularly: “what is etymology of Chinese sense?”)
Pronunciation
Baxter –Sagart system 1.1 (2014 )
Character
天
皇
Reading #
1/2
2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
tiān
huáng
Middle Chinese
‹ then ›
‹ hwang ›
Old Chinese
/*l̥ˁi/
/*ʷˁaŋ/
English
heaven
sovereign
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
天
皇
Reading #
1/1
1/1
No.
12387
12696
Phonetic component
天
王
Rime group
眞
陽
Rime subdivision
1
0
Corresponding MC rime
天
黃
Old Chinese
/*qʰl'iːn/
/*ɡʷaːŋ/
Notes
禮 王 制 鄭 注 冕 屬 ,金 文 象 羽 冠 ,王 聲 ;或 雲 象 日 射 輝 則 爲 暀 晃 初 文
Noun
天皇
king of heaven ; heavenly sovereign ; ( figurative ) emperor
emperor or empress (regnant) of Japan
Descendants
Further reading
Japanese
Etymology 1
/ten wau/ → /tenwɔː/ → /tenːɔː/ → /tenːoː/
From Middle Chinese 天皇 (MC then hwang ) with the original sense of “heavenly sovereign ”.
The 呉音 ( goon , literally “ Wu sound ” ) pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing from Middle Chinese . The ō reading for 皇 changes to nō as an instance of renjō (連声 ).
Pronunciation
Noun
天( てん ) 皇( のう ) • (tennō ) ←てんわう ( ten'wau ) ?
an Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan
Synonyms: 内の上 ( uchi no ue ) , 皇天 ( kōten ) , 内裏 ( dairi ) , 天子 ( tenshi ) , 帝 ( mikado )
天( てん ) 皇( のう ) 陛( へい ) 下( か ) ― tennō Heika ― Your/His Majesty the Emperor/Her Majesty the Empress (Regnant)
明( めい ) 治( じ ) 天( てん ) 皇( のう ) ― Meiji tennō ― Emperor Meiji
大日本帝國( だいにっぽんていこく ) ハ 萬世 一 系 ( ばんせいいっけい ) ノ 天皇( てんのう ) 之( の ) ヲ 統治( とうち ) ス Dainipponteikoku wa banseīkkei no tennō no o tōchi su The Empire of Japan shall be reigned over and governed by a line of Emperors unbroken for ages eternal.
( usually in Chinese contexts ) an emperor , ruler , or other monarch with a heavenly mandate
Synonym: 天子 ( tenshi )
( by extension ) a person having a strength or profession in a particular field of study or expertise
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Descendants
Etymology 2
/ten kʷau/ → /tenkʷɔː/ → /tenkɔː/ → /tenkoː/
From Middle Chinese 天皇 (MC then hwang ).
The 漢音 ( kan'on , literally “ Han sound ” ) pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese .
Pronunciation
Noun
天( てん ) 皇( こう ) • (tenkō ) ←てんくわう ( tenkwau ) ?
( usually in Chinese contexts ) an emperor , ruler , or other monarch with a heavenly mandate
Synonym: 天子 ( tenshi )
Proper noun
天( てん ) 皇( こう ) • (Tenkō ) ←てんくわう ( Tenkwau ) ?
( Chinese mythology ) the first of the Three Sovereigns , possibly 伏羲 ( Fukki , “ Fu Xi ” )
Etymology 3
/sumeraɡi/ → /suberaɡi/
Shift from sumeragi below, with the nasal /m/ becoming a plosive /b/ .
The kanji spelling is from tennō above.
Pronunciation
Noun
天皇( すべらぎ ) • (suberagi )
( archaic ) a term of address for an Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:天皇 .
Derived terms
Etymology 4
⟨sume1 ro2 ki1 ⟩ → */sumʲerəkʲi/ → */sumeraki/ → /sumeraɡi/
Possibly a shift from Old Japanese 天皇 ( sume1 ro2 ki1 ) .
The kanji spelling is from tennō above.
Pronunciation
Noun
天皇( すめらぎ ) • (sumeragi )
( honorific , archaic ) a term of address for an Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:天皇 .
Derived terms
Etymology 5
From 皇 ( sumera- , prefix of praise and respect ) + 君 ( kimi , “ lord , master → sovereign ” ) . The kimi changes to gimi as an instance of rendaku (連濁 ).
The kanji spelling is from tennō above.
Pronunciation
Noun
天皇( すめらぎみ ) • (sumeragimi )
( honorific , archaic ) a term of address for an Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:天皇 .
Etymology 6
From Old Japanese .
From 皇 ( sumera- , prefix of praise and respect ) + 尊 ( mikoto , “ Highness ” ) .
The kanji spelling is from tennō above.
Pronunciation
Noun
天皇( すめらみこと ) • (sumeramikoto )
( honorific , archaic ) a term of address for an Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan
始( はつ ) 馭天下之( くにしらす ) 天皇( すめらみこと ) Hatsu Kunishirasu Sumeramikoto the First Founding Emperor
Derived terms
See also
See also
園( えん ) 遊( ゆう ) 会( かい ) ( en'yū-kai , “ garden party ” , (hosted by the emperor) )
皇( こう ) 后( ごう ) ( kōgō , “ Empress of Japan ” )
皇( こう ) 室( しつ ) ( kōshitsu , “ imperial court, imperial household ” )
皇( こう ) 太( たい ) 子( し ) ( kōtaishi , “ Prince ” )
皇( こう ) 太( たい ) 子( し ) 妃( ひ ) ( kōtaishihi , “ Princess ” )
親( しん ) 王( のう ) ( shinnō , “ Imperial Prince of Japan ” )
殿( でん ) 下( か ) ( Denka , “ Your/His/Her Highness ” )
内( ない ) 親( しん ) 王( のう ) ( naishinnō , “ Princess of Japan ” )
妃( ひ ) 殿( でん ) 下( か ) ( hidenka , “ Princess ” )
宮( みや ) 家( け ) ( miyake , “ the Prince’s family ” )
References
↑ 1.0 1.1 Matsumura, Akira , editor (2006 ), 大辞林 [Daijirin ] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo : Sanseidō , →ISBN
^ 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
Anagrams
Korean
Noun
天皇 • (cheonhwang ) (hangeul 천황 )
hanja form? of 천황 ( “ Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan ” )
Old Japanese
Etymology 1
Possibly from 皇 ( sume1 ro2 - , apophonic form of sume1 ra- , prefix of praise and respect ) + 君 ( ki1 mi1 , “ lord , master → sovereign ” ) , with the final mi1 dropping due to poetic reasons.
The kanji spelling is an orthographic borrowing from Middle Chinese 天皇 (MC then hwang ).
Noun
天皇 (sume1 ro2 ki1 ) (kana すめろき )
( honorific ) a sovereign who governs a region
( by extension, honorific ) a term of address for an Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan
( by extension ) the imperial lineage or family line
the Emperor's reign
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:天皇 .
Descendants
Japanese: 天皇 ( sumeragi, suberagi )
Etymology 2
From 皇 ( sume1 ra- , prefix of praise and respect ) + 尊 ( mi1 ko2 to2 , “ Highness ” ) .
The kanji spelling is an orthographic borrowing from Middle Chinese 天皇 (MC then hwang ).
Noun
天皇 (sume1 rami1 ko2 to2 ) (kana すめらみこと )
( honorific ) a term of address for an Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:天皇 .
Derived terms
Derived terms
太上天皇 ( opoki1 -sume1 rami1 ko2 to2 )
大倭根子天皇 ( Opoyamato2 neko1 no2 Sume1 rami1 ko2 to2 )
神日本磐余彦天皇 ( Kamuyamato2 Iparepi1 ko1 no Sume1 rami1 ko2 to2 , “ a name of Emperor Jimmu ” )
始馭天下之天皇 ( Patukunisirasu Sume1 rami1 ko2 to2 , “ another name of Emperor Jimmu ” )
御肇國天皇 ( Patukunisirasu Sume1 rami1 ko2 to2 , “ a name of Emperor Sujin ” )
Descendants
Japanese: 天皇 , 皇尊 ( sumeramikoto )
See also
Vietnamese
Noun
天皇
chữ Hán form of thiên hoàng ( “ an Emperor or Empress Regnant of Japan ” ) .
Synonym: 日皇 (Nhật hoàng )