. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Translingual
Stroke order
Stroke order in simplified Chinese
In traditional Chinese , Japanese kanji and Korean hanja , the middle component of 象 is written 𫩏 followed by 𧰨 .
In simplified Chinese and Vietnamese Nôm , the middle component of 象 is written 口 overlapped by a downward ㇓ slash and is one stroke less compared to the traditional form.
Han character
象 (Kangxi radical 152, 豕 +5 in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean , 豕+4 in simplified Chinese , 12 strokes in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean , 11 strokes in simplified Chinese , cangjie input 弓日心人 (NAPO ), four-corner 27232 , composition ⿱⺈ ⿻口 𧰨 (G V ) or ⿳⺈ 𫩏 𧰨 (H T ) or ⿸⿳⺈ 𫩏 ⿹⿱丿 ㇁ ⿱丿丿⿺乀 丿 (J K ))
Derived characters
像 , 𩞧 (𱄇 ), 𧬛 , 𪮱 , 𢠽 , 𬂏 , 𭩈 , 鐌 , 𤩪 , 潒 , 橡 , 𦺨 , 𥣟 , 𫂤 , 𢇐 , 𫮧 , 嶑 , 襐 , 𧝌 , 𢄵 , 勨 , 𨖶 , 𢐣 , 𤡸 , 𬥌 , 蟓 , 鱌 (𬶲 ), 䴂
References
Kangxi Dictionary: page 1195 , character 21
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 36372
Dae Jaweon: page 1658, character 1
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3611, character 9
Unihan data for U+8C61
Chinese
Glyph origin
Old Chinese
潒
*l'aːŋʔ, *ljaŋʔ
像
*ljaŋʔ
象
*ljaŋʔ
橡
*ljaŋʔ
蟓
*ljaŋʔ, *hljaŋs
襐
*ljaŋʔ
勨
*ljaŋʔ, *laŋʔ
鱌
*ljaŋʔ
嶑
*ljaŋʔ
Pictogram (象形 ) - pictographic representation of an elephant. ⺈ represents the trunk, 𫩏 represents the head, and 𧰨 represents the body.
Etymology 1
This character is used to represent two semantic fields ‘elephant; tusk’ and ‘to outline; to depict; to delineate; to represent; to resemble; to map’. Both fields are found from the earliest layers of the edited literature onwards, whereas only the first meaning is amply attested in oracle bone inscriptions.
Traditionally, the two senses are treated as related, with the sense of ‘to depict; to resemble’ considered a derivative of the sense of ‘elephant’. The derivation from the ‘elephant’ meaning to the ‘likeness’ meaning is explained in Han Feizi First attested in c. 221 BCE: “Men rarely see living elephants. As they come by the skeleton of a dead elephant, they imagine its living form according to its features. Therefore it comes to pass that whatever people use for imagining the real is called 象 .”
Modern etymology studies on Old Chinese have challenged this opinion.
As for the ‘elephant; tusk’ sense, this is a widely used area word in East and Southeast Asia. Literature opinions differ on the origin and immediate relationship of this Chinese word; some (e.g. Schuessler, 2007 ) believe the Chinese form is a loanword from a Southern language, since it is unlikely that peoples all over Southeast Asia and the Himalayan foothills would borrow a word from Northern China to denote an indigenous animal. Others believe the direction of borrowing is reversed (i.e. Tai-Kadai borrowing from Chinese), and that Chinese 象 should be compared with Tibetan གླང ( glang ) , གླང་ཆེན ( glang chen , “ elephant ” ) arising from a common Proto-Sino-Tibetan *glaŋ ( “ ox, bull; elephant ” ) , which may ultimately have an Austroasiatic origin (Behr, 2004 ). The second viewpoint is supported by the early attestation of this character and the archaeological findings of the historical ranges of elephants. However, Schuessler disputes that second viewpoint and links ST *glaŋ to 犅 (OC *klaːŋ , “ox, bull”).
See below for a tentative borrowing history of the various forms of this general area word.
Pronunciation
Mandarin
(Standard )
(Pinyin ) : xiàng (xiang4 )
(Zhuyin ) : ㄒㄧㄤˋ
(Chengdu , Sichuanese Pinyin ) : xiang4
(Dungan , Cyrillic and Wiktionary ) : щён (xi͡on, III)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou –Hong Kong , Jyutping ) : zoeng6
(Taishan , Wiktionary ) : diang5
Gan (Wiktionary ) : xiong5
Hakka
(Sixian , PFS ) : siong
(Meixian , Guangdong ) : xiong4
Jin (Wiktionary ) : xion3
Northern Min (KCR ) : siōng
Eastern Min (BUC ) : chiông
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing ): cieo5 / ciuⁿ5 / syong5 / syeng5
Southern Min
(Hokkien , POJ ) : chhiūⁿ / chhiǔⁿ / chhiōⁿ / chhiāuⁿ / siōng / sióng / siǒng / chhiāng
(Teochew , Peng'im ) : ciên6 / cion6 / siang6
Wu (Shanghai , Wugniu ) : 6 zhian
Xiang (Changsha , Wiktionary ) : sian4
Note :
cieo5/ciuⁿ5 - vernacular;
syong5/syeng5 - literary.
Southern Min
(Hokkien : Xiamen , Taipei , Kaohsiung , Lukang , Sanxia , Yilan , Kinmen , Magong , Hsinchu , Taichung )
(Hokkien : Quanzhou , Jinjiang , Lukang )
(Hokkien : Zhangzhou , Tainan )
(Hokkien : Penang )
(Hokkien : Xiamen , General Taiwanese )
(Hokkien : variant in Taiwan )
(Hokkien : Quanzhou , Jinjiang )
(Hokkien : Zhangzhou )
Note :
chhiūⁿ/chhiǔⁿ/chhiōⁿ - vernacular;
siōng/sióng/siǒng/chhiāng - literary.
Note :
ciên6 - Chaozhou (“elephant”);
cion6 - Shantou (“elephant”);
siang6 - other senses.
Baxter –Sagart system 1.1 (2014 )
Character
象
Reading #
1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
xiàng
Middle Chinese
‹ zjangX ›
Old Chinese
/*s-aŋʔ/
English
elephant
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
象
Reading #
1/1
No.
13664
Phonetic component
象
Rime group
陽
Rime subdivision
0
Corresponding MC rime
像
Old Chinese
/*ljaŋʔ/
Definitions
象 (1)
(Chinese Chess ) 象 (3)
象
elephant (Classifier : 頭 / 头 m ; 隻 / 只 m c mn )
幼 象 ― yòu xiàng ― young elephant
ivory ; tusk
Synonym: 象牙 ( xiàngyá )
象 床 ― xiàng chuáng ― ivory-decorated bed
( xiangqi ) elephant : 🩩 (on the black side) (Classifier : 隻 / 只 c )
Synonym: 相
( chess ) bishop
symbol ; emblem
象 徵/ 象 征 ― xiàng zhēng ― symbol
appearance ; shape ; phenomenon
天象 ― tiānxiàng ― celestial phenomenon
現象 / 现象 ― xiànxiàng ― phenomenon
景象 ― jǐngxiàng ― scene
( traditional Chinese medicine ) complexion
病象 ― bìngxiàng ― disease signs and symptoms
image ; picture ; portrait
See also: 像
sign ; indication
( obsolete ) law ; legislation
( obsolete ) principle
( obsolete ) calendar
( literary ) to imitate ; to follow the example of
象 形 ― xiàng xíng ― pictogram
象 聲詞/ 象 声词 ― xiàng shēngcí ― onomatopoeia
( literary ) to trace ; to outline ; to depict
to resemble
See also: 像
( historical ) government official that translates southern languages
( ~郡 ) ( historical ) Xiang , a commandery of Han China
a surname
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
大象 (“elephant”)
Variety
Location
Words
Classical Chinese
象
Formal (Written Standard Chinese )
象
Taxonomic name
象
Northeastern Mandarin
Taiwan
大象
Singapore
大象
Central Plains Mandarin
Luoyang
象
Wanrong
象
Xi'an
象
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)
象
Lanyin Mandarin
Ürümqi
象
Southwestern Mandarin
Chengdu
象
Wuhan
象
Guiyang
象
Liuzhou
大象
Cantonese
Guangzhou
大笨象
Hong Kong
大笨象
Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)
象
Macau
大笨象
Guangzhou (Panyu)
大笨象
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)
大笨象
Guangzhou (Conghua)
大笨象
Guangzhou (Zengcheng)
大笨象
Foshan
大笨象
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)
大笨象
Foshan (Shunde)
大笨象
Foshan (Sanshui)
大笨象
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)
大象
Zhongshan (Shiqi)
大笨象
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)
大笨象
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)
象
Zhuhai (Doumen)
象
Jiangmen (Baisha)
象
Jiangmen (Xinhui)
象
Taishan
象 , 大笨象
Taishan (Guanghai)
大象哥 , 大象
Kaiping (Chikan)
象
Enping (Niujiang)
象
Heshan (Yayao)
象
Dongguan
大笨象
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)
大笨象
Nanning
大笨象
Wuzhou
大笨象
Yulin
大象
Hepu (Lianzhou)
大象
Guiping
大笨象
Mengshan (Xihe)
象
Guigang (Nanjiang)
大笨象
Beiliu (Tangliao)
象
Baise
大笨象
Bobai
大象
Lingshan
象
Pubei
象
Qinzhou
大笨象
Beihai
大笨象
Ningming
大象
Hengzhou
大象
Hezhou (Pumen, Babu)
大象
Mandalay (Taishan)
象
Gan
Nanchang
象
Hakka
Meixian
象
Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)
大笨象
Dongguan (Qingxi)
象
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)
大笨象
Zhongshan (Wuguishan)
大笨象
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)
大笨象
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)
大象
Miaoli (N. Sixian)
象仔 , 大象
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
象仔 , 大象
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
象 , 大象
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
象 , 大象
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
象 , 大象
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
象 , 大象
Beiliu (Tang'an)
象
Mashan (Pianlian)
象
Jin
Taiyuan
象
Northern Min
Jian'ou
象
Eastern Min
Fuzhou
象
Southern Min
Xiamen
象
Quanzhou
象
Zhangzhou
象
Zhao'an
象
Dongshan
象
Taipei
象
New Taipei (Sanxia)
象
Kaohsiung
象
Yilan
象
Changhua (Lukang)
象
Taichung
象
Taichung (Wuqi)
象
Tainan
象
Taitung
象
Hsinchu
象
Kinmen
象
Penghu (Magong)
象
Penang (Hokkien)
象
Singapore (Hokkien)
象 , 大象
Manila (Hokkien)
象
Pingnan (Shangdu)
象
Shantou
象
Shantou (Chaoyang)
象
Haikou
象
Puxian Min
Putian
象
Central Min
Yong'an
象
Zhongshan Min
Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)
大笨象 , 大象
Southern Pinghua
Nanning (Tingzi)
大象
Wu
Shanghai
象 , 象鼻頭
Shanghai (Chongming)
象
Suzhou
象
Danyang
象
Hangzhou
象
Xiang
Quanzhou
大象
不啻 ( bùchì ) ( literary ) 似 ( ci5 ) ( Cantonese, Classical Chinese ) 似乎 ( sìhū ) 似如 ( si4 y2 ) ( Xiang ) 像 ( xiàng ) 像係 / 像系 ( Hakka ) 像是 ( xiàngshì ) 儼如 / 俨如 ( yǎnrú ) ( literary ) 儼然 / 俨然 ( yǎnrán ) 儼若 / 俨若 ( yǎnruò ) ( literary ) 勝如 / 胜如 ( 5 sen-zy) ( Wu ) 好似 ( hǎosì ) 好像 ( hǎoxiàng ) 如同 ( rútóng ) 好比 ( hǎobǐ ) 宛 ( Classical Chinese, or compounds only ) 宛如 ( wǎnrú ) ( literary ) 宛然 ( wǎnrán ) ( literary ) 宛若 ( wǎnruò ) ( literary ) 就像 ( jiùxiàng ) 彷彿 / 仿佛 ( fǎngfú ) 忽如 ( hūrú ) ( literary ) 恍若 ( huǎngruò ) 敢若 ( Hokkien ) 敢若是 ( Hokkien ) 𣍐輸 / 𫧃输 ( bē-su ) ( Hokkien ) 有如 ( yǒurú ) ( formal ) 猶似 / 犹似 ( yóusì ) ( literary ) 猶像 / 犹像 ( yóuxiàng ) ( literary ) 猶如 / 犹如 ( yóurú ) ( formal ) 甲像 ( Hokkien ) 甲像是 ( Hokkien ) 甲親像 / 甲亲像 ( Hokkien ) 看上去 ( kàn shàngqù ) 看似 ( kànsì ) 看來 / 看来 ( kànlái ) 看樣子 / 看样子 ( kànyàngzi ) 看起來 / 看起来 ( kànqilai ) 若 ( Classical Chinese, or compounds only ) 若像 ( Hokkien ) 若親像 / 若亲像 ( Hokkien ) 表面上 ( biǎomiànshang ) 親像 / 亲像 ( Hakka, Hokkien ) 貌似 ( màosì ) 賽可 / 赛可 ( Ningbonese ) 較像 / 较像 ( Hokkien ) 較像是 / 较像是 ( Hokkien ) 較親像 / 较亲像 ( Hokkien ) 顯得 / 显得 ( xiǎnde )
Coordinate terms
(Chinese chess pieces ) 帥 / 帅 ( shuài ) / 將 / 将 , 仕 ( shì ) / 士 ( shì ) , 相 / 象 ( xiàng ) , 俥 / 伡 / 車 / 车 , 傌 / 㐷 / 馬 / 马 ( mǎ ) , 炮 / 砲 / 炮 , 兵 ( bīng ) / 卒
Compounds
Descendants
Others :
→ Common Turkic: *yaŋan
→ ? Bulgar:[ 2]
→ Kalmyk: зан ( zan )
→ Mongolian: заан ( zaan )
→ Proto-Tai: *ɟaːŋꟲ ( “ elephant ” )
Lao: ຊ້າງ ( sāng )
Lü: ᦋᦱᧂᧉ ( tsaang² )
Northern Thai: ᨩ᩶ᩣ᩠ᨦ ( cang )
Saek: ซาง
Shan: ၸၢင်ႉ ( tsâ̰ang )
Tai Dam: ꪋ꫁ꪱꪉ
Tai Nüa: ᥓᥣᥒᥳ ( tsȧang )
Thai: ช้าง ( cháang )
→ Proto-Lolo-Burmese: *tsaŋ ( “ elephant ” )
Burmese: ဆင် ( hcang )
→ Proto-Monic: *ciiŋ ("elephant")
→ Proto-Vietic: *ʔa-ɟaːŋ ( “ elephant ” )
Etymology 2
Usage notes
象 was the official simplified form of 像 ( xiàng ) only until 1986.
See also
References
^ 李榮 (1998 ) 成都方言詞典(現代漢語方言大詞典·分卷) , 江蘇教育出版社 , →ISBN
^ Vovin, Alexander (2011 ) First and second person singular pronouns: a pillar or a pillory of the ‘Altaic’ hypothesis? , pages 271–272
^ 李榮 (1998 ) 成都方言詞典(現代漢語方言大詞典·分卷) , 江蘇教育出版社 , →ISBN
^ 李榮 (1998 ) 成都方言詞典(現代漢語方言大詞典·分卷) , 江蘇教育出版社 , →ISBN
Japanese
Kanji
象
(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji , shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 𧰼 )
Readings
Etymology 1
/zau/ → /zɔː/ → /zoː/
From Middle Chinese 象 ( zjangX , “ elephant; image, resemblance ” ) . Compare modern Cantonese reading zoeng6 .
The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.
Pronunciation
Noun
象( ぞう ) or 象( ゾウ ) • (zō ) ←ざう ( zau ) ? (counter 頭 )
elephant
Derived terms
Etymology 2
/sjau/ → /sjɔː/ → /ɕɔː/ → /ɕoː/
From Middle Chinese 象 ( zjangX , “ elephant; image, resemblance ” ) . Compare modern Min Nan reading siōng or Mandarin xiàng .
The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.
Pronunciation
Noun
象( しょう ) • (shō ) ←しやう ( syau ) ?
likeness , appearance
Derived terms
Etymology 3
From Old Japanese . Cognate with 橒 ( kisa , “ wood grain ” ) , from the way that ivory also has a grain .[ 3]
Pronunciation
Noun
象( きさ ) • (kisa )
( obsolete ) elephant
938 , Minamoto no Shitagō , Wamyō Ruijushō , volume 7, page 52 :象 [...] 岐佐 [...] 獣名、似水牛、大耳、長鼻、眼細、牙長者也 Elephant, kisa a kind of beast, looks like water buffalo, having big ears, long nose, slender eyes and long teeth
970–999 , Utsubo Monogatari , page Toshikage:それより西を行ケば、虎狼ひと山さワぐ所有り。キサ 出デてその山をこしつ。 When he went west from there, there was a place where tigers and monkeys clamoured on a mountain. Elephants had set out and crossed that mountain
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
^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988 ) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition) ] (in Japanese), Tōkyō : Shogakukan , →ISBN
Korean
Etymology
From Middle Chinese 象 (MC zjangX ). Recorded as Middle Korean 샤ᇰ〮 ( syáng ) (Yale : syang ) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회 ), 1527.
Hanja
Wikisource
象 (eumhun 코끼리 상 ( kokkiri sang ) )
hanja form? of 상 ( “ elephant ” )
hanja form? of 상 ( “ shape ; figure ; appearance ” )
Compounds
Compounds
대상 (對象 , daesang )
현상 (現象 , hyeonsang )
상징 (象徵 , sangjing )
기상 (氣象 , gisang )
가상 (假象 , gasang )
만상 (萬象 , mansang )
인상 (印象 , insang )
추상 (抽象 , chusang )
표상 (表象 , pyosang )
심상 (心象 , simsang )
형상 (形象 , hyeongsang )
상형 (象形 , sanghyeong )
구상 (具象 , gusang )
상아 (象牙 , sang'a )
사상 (事象 , sasang )
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
象 : Hán Nôm readings: tượng
(in compounds) elephant
a xiangqi piece which represents an elephant
shape ; scene