弟子

弟子

1. disciple; follower

   • 子曰：「若聖與仁，則吾豈敢？抑為之不厭，誨人不倦，則可謂云爾已矣。」公西華曰：「正唯弟子不能學也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「若圣与仁，则吾岂敢？抑为之不厌，诲人不倦，则可谓云尔已矣。」公西华曰：「正唯弟子不能学也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Zǐyuē: “Ruò shèng yǔ rén, zé wú qǐ gǎn? Yì wèi zhī bùyàn, huì rén bùjuàn, zé kě wèi yún ěr yǐ yǐ.” Gōngxī huá yuē: “Zhèng wéi dìzǐ bùnéng xué yě.”

     The Master said: "How dare I presume to be sagely and humane? I merely strive to become such without being disappointed, to teach people without being tired; this much can be said of me." Gongxi Hua said: "This is just what (we) disciples and pupils cannot learn to."

2. (dialectal Mandarin, Northern Min, dialectal Wu) younger brother

• (disciple):

From Middle Chinese 弟子 (MC dejX tsiX). Probably the initial borrowing.

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

弟(てい)子(し) • (teishi) 

1. a disciple, an apprentice
2. (Buddhism) on a mala or Buddhist rosary, the ten small beads closest to the end of the portion that hangs free from the largest bead

Appears to be a shift from teishi above. This is now the most common reading for the disciple, apprentice sense.

• (honorific) お弟子(でし) (o-deshi)

• (Tokyo) でし (Odaka – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

弟(で)子(し) • (deshi) 

1. an apprentice, a disciple
   • Kore Yamazaki, “第1篇　April showers bring May flowers. [Composition 1: April showers bring May flowers.]”, in [魔法使いの嫁](The Ancient Magus Bride) [The Ancient Magus’ Bride], volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Mag Garden, page 20:

     君(きみ)を魔法使い(ぼく)の弟(で)子(し)として歓(かん)迎(げい)するよ　死の愛し仔(スレイ・ベガ)…いや　チセ

     Kimi o boku no deshi to shite kangeisuru yo Surei Bega… Iya Chise

     You are welcome as my apprentice, Sleih Beggey… I mean, Chise

Compound of 弟 (oto, “younger”, cognate with 弟 (otōto, “younger brother”), itself from oto + 人 (hito, “person”)) +‎ 子 (ko, “child”).^[2] The ko changes to go as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

• 乙子

• IPA^(key):

弟(おと)子(ご) • (otogo) 

1. the youngest child
2. short for 弟子月 (otogo-zuki, “December” in the lunar calendar)

(youngest child):

• 末(ばっ)子(し) (basshi)
• 末(すえ)っ子(こ) (suekko)

(December):

• 師(し)走(わす) (shiwasu) (old lunar calendar)
• 十(じゅう)二(に)月(がつ) (jūnigatsu) (modern solar calendar)

• 子(し)弟(てい) (shitei)

弟子 • (jeja) (hangeul 제자)

1. hanja form^? of 제자 (“disciple; pupil”)

弟子

1. chữ Hán form of đệ tử (“disciple; underling”).