威

Stroke order

Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan (Swap strokes 9 and 8 for Taiwan.)

威 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 戈竹一女 (IHMV), four-corner 5320₀, composition ⿵戌女)

• 𠋘, 喴, 㙎, 媙, 𫶆, 揻, 𣸵, 隇, 𮞩, 楲, 𥔃, 縅, 𦩬, 蝛, 𨩆, 鰄, 𨜠, 𦞏, 崴, 葳, 𬕚

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 261, character 24
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6259
• Dae Jaweon: page 527, character 27
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1404, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5A01

Historical forms of the character 威
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 戌 + 女.

畏 (OC *quls, “to fear”) is the exoactive derivation of 威 (OC *qul, “to overawe”), literally "to be intimidated" (Schuessler, 2007). In early writing, the character for 畏 was sometimes used directly as a substitute of 威 (wēi) (e.g. in the Da Yu ding inscription).

鬼 (OC *kulʔ, “ghost”) is a derivation (Baxter and Sagart, 1998).

威

1. pomp
2. power
3. powerful
4. to dominate; to display power
5. (Cantonese) imposing; awe-inspiring
6. (Cantonese) to be imposing; to be awe-inspiring
7. a surname

威

1. (Hokkien) Alternative form of 揻 (ui, “to prick; to poke; to bore”)

   • 阿片無食脚手軟　無錢半步不出門　威空扒壁提來當　有錢歸冥燒到光 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     阿片无食脚手软　无钱半步不出门　威空扒壁提来当　有钱归冥烧到光 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 1933, 勸改阿片新歌

     a-phiàn bô chia̍h kha-chhiú nńg, bô chîⁿ pòaⁿ pō͘ m̄ chhut-mn̂g, ui khang peh piah the̍h lâi tǹg, ū chîⁿ kui-mî sio kàu kng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     If he does not smoke opium, his limbs are weak; without money, he does not go out for half a step. Boring holes and climbing walls, he takes to pawn; with money, he smokes all night until dawn.

   • 親像針一直威一直威入阮的心 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     亲像针一直威一直威入阮的心 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2015, 薇芯 (lyrics), 江紓雯 (music), 天頂星, performed by 秀蘭瑪雅

     chhin-chhiūⁿ chiam it-ti̍t ui it-ti̍t ui ji̍p gún ê sim [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     It is like a needle constantly poking, constantly poking into my heart

   • 怎樣放捨我　做你來離開　無緣作堆　心像針威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     怎样放舍我　做你来离开　无缘作堆　心像针威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2016, 高以德 (lyrics), 吳靜慧 (music), 月娘啊月娘, performed by 鳳娘

     chóaⁿ-iūⁿ pàng-sak góa, chòe lí lâi lī-khui, bô-iân chòe-tui, sim chhiūⁿ chiam ui [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     How did you abandon me? I let you leave, We were not destined to be together, my heart is aching like a needle is pricking it

   • 海風青冷　吹著心若針威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     海风青冷　吹着心若针威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2020, 陳百潭 (lyrics and music), 霧中情, performed by 陳百潭 and 方千玉

     hái-hong chhiⁿ-léng, chhoe-tio̍h sim ná chiam ui [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     The chilly breeze from the sea is blowing at my heart, as if a needle is pricking it

   • 阮的心像針威塊滴血 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     阮的心像针威块滴血 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2022, 郭之儀 (lyrics), 鄭喬安 (music), 落花, performed by 林良歡

     gún ê sim chhiūⁿ chiam ui teh tih hoeh [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     My heart is like a needle is pricking it until it drips with blood

(Jōyō kanji)

• Go-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: おどす (odosu, 威す)、おどし (odoshi, 威し)、おどかす (odokasu, 威かす)
• Nanori: いさ (isa)、たけ (take)、たけし (takeshi)

/wi/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 威 (MC 'jw+j).

• (Tokyo) い (Atamadaka – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

威(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. power; might; strength; authority

威(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. power; might; strength; authority; dignity; majesty

威 (eumhun 위엄 위 (wieom wi))

1. dignity

• 위화도회군 (威化島回軍, wihwadohoegun)

威: Hán Nôm readings: uy, oai

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