魂

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 魂. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 魂, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 魂 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 魂 you have here. The definition of the word 魂 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of魂, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
魂 U+9B42, 魂
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9B42
← 魁
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 魃 →

Translingual

Han character

魂 (Kangxi radical 194, 鬼+4, 14 strokes, cangjie input 一戈竹戈 (MIHI), four-corner 16713, composition ⿰云鬼)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 1461, character 12
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 45787
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1994, character 20
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4428, character 9
  • Unihan data for U+9B42

Chinese

trad. 魂
simp. # 魂
alternative forms 䰟

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 魂
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script
Characters in the same phonetic series (云) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
魂 *ɢuːn
沄 *ɢuːn, *ɢun
忶 *ɢuːn, *ɢuns
囩 *ɢun
夽 *ŋunʔ
雲 *ɢun
芸 *ɢun
耘 *ɢun
妘 *ɢun
紜 *ɢun
云 *ɢun
耺 *ɢun
蕓 *ɢun
澐 *ɢun
橒 *ɢun
抎 *ɢunʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɢuːn) : phonetic 云 (OC *ɢun) + semantic 鬼.

Etymology

Cognate with 雲 (OC *ɢun, “cloud”) (Carr, 1985).

Pronunciation

Rime
Character 魂
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 匣 (33)
Final (韻) 魂 (55)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) I
Fanqie 戸昆切
Baxter hwon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/ɦuən/
Pan
Wuyun 		/ɦuon/
Shao
Rongfen 		/ɣuən/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/ɦwən/
Li
Rong 		/ɣuən/
Wang
Li 		/ɣuən/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/ɣuən/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		hún
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		wan4
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 魂
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		hún
Middle
Chinese 		‹ hwon ›
Old
Chinese 		/*qʷˁə/
English spiritual soul

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 魂
Reading # 1/1
No. 16353
Phonetic
component 		云
Rime
group 		文
Rime
subdivision 		2
Corresponding
MC rime 		䰟
Old
Chinese 		/*ɢuːn/

Definitions

魂

  1. (religion, folklore) the hun, the soul which goes to heaven, as opposed to the 魄 (pò), which goes down to the earth with the body at death.
  2. soul; spirit
  3. mood
  4. the lofty spirit of a nation or people

Synonyms

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (魂):
  • → Japanese: 魂(こん) (kon)
  • → Korean: 혼(魂) (hon)
  • → Vietnamese: hồn (魂)

Japanese

Kanji

魂

(Jōyō kanji)

  1. soul, spirit
  2. vigour, willpower

Readings

Compounds

Compounds

Etymology 1

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ja
Kanji in this term
魂
たましい
Grade: S
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
魄

⟨tamasipi1⟩ → */tamasipʲi/ → /tamaɕifi/ → /tamaɕiwi/ → /tamaɕiː/

From Old Japanese.

Compound of 魂 (tama, “soul, spirit”, see below) and an uncertain shii, possibly 強ひ (shihi → shii), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of classical verb 強ふ (shifu → shiu), modern 強いる (shiiru, “to force, compel”). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

Noun

魂(たましい) • (tamashī) ←たましひ (tamasifi)?

  1. (religion, folklore) a soul, spirit
    Synonyms: アニマ (anima), ゼーレ (zēre), ソウル (sōru), 霊魂 (reikon)
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 15, poem 3767:
      , text here
      多麻之比(たましひ)波(は)安之多由布敝尓(あしたゆふへに)多麻布礼杼(たまふれど)安我牟祢伊多之(あがむねいたし)古非能之氣吉尓(こひのしげきに) [Man'yōgana]
      魂(たましひ)は朝(あした)夕(ゆふべ)にたまふれど我(あ)が胸(むね)痛(いた)し恋(こひ)の繁(しげ)きに [Modern spelling]
      tamashī wa ashita-yūbe ni tamafuredo aga mune itashi koi no shigeki ni
      (please add an English translation of this example)
  2. mind, spirit, vigour, willpower
    Synonyms: ガイスト (gaisuto), 気力 (kiryoku), 心 (kokoro), 心魂 (kokorodama), 精神 (seishin)
  3. (figurative) spirit (manner or style of something, enthusiasm)
  4. (figurative, by extension) attitude, readiness
    Synonym: 気構え (kigamae)
  5. discretion, judgement, prudence
    Synonyms: 才略 (sairyaku), 思慮 (shiryo), 分別 (funbetsu)
  6. character, genius, talent, wisdom
    Synonyms: 素質 (soshitsu), 天分 (tenbun), 才気 (saiki)
  7. (from a warrior's "spirit") a katana (single-edged Japanese sword)
    Synonym: 刀 (katana)
Derived terms
Derived terms
Idioms
Idioms
Proverbs

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
魂
たま
Grade: S
kun'yomi
Alternative spellings
魄
霊

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *tama.

Thought to be cognate with 玉 (tama, “jewel”).[2]

Pronunciation

Noun

魂(たま) • (tama) ←たま (tama)?

  1. a soul, spirit
    • 905, Kokin Wakashū (book 10, poem 448)
      空蟬(うつせみ)のからは木(き)ごとにとどむれどたまのゆくへを見(み)ぬぞかなしき
      utsusemi no kara-wa-ki-goto ni todomuredo tama no yukue o minu zo kanashiki
      (please add an English translation of this example)
    Synonym: 霊魂 (reikon)
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
魂
こん
Grade: S
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 魂 (MC hwon).

Compare modern Mandarin 魂 (hún)

Pronunciation

Noun

魂(こん) • (kon) 

  1. mind, spirit, will
    Synonyms: 心 (kokoro), 精神 (seishin)
  2. a soul, spirit
    Synonym: 霊魂 (reikon)
  3. hun: yang energy or spirit
    Antonym: 魄 (haku)
    Hypernym: 魂魄 (konpaku)
Derived terms

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
魂
こころ
Grade: S
irregular

From 心 (kokoro, “heart, mind, spirit”).

Proper noun

魂(こころ) • (Kokoro) 

  1. a female given name

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 “たましい［たましひ］ 【魂・魄】Paid subscription required”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 “たま 【魂・霊・魄】Paid subscription required”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
  4. ^ “こん 【魂】Paid subscription required”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 魂 (MC hwon).

Historical readings

Pronunciation

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

魂 (eumhun 넋 혼 (neok hon))

  1. hanja form? of 혼 (“soul; 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.

Okinawan

Kanji

魂

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
魂
たまし
Grade: S
kun'yomi

Noun

魂(たまし) (tamashi) 

  1. soul, spirit, mind

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
魂
たましー
Grade: S
kun'yomi

Noun

魂(たましー) (tamashī) 

  1. (religion) soul of the dead
    Antonym: まぶい

References

  • “タマシ” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).
  • “タマシー” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).

Vietnamese

Han character

魂: Hán Nôm readings: hồn, hun, hùn

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

Yonaguni

Kanji

魂

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 魂 (tamashī)

Noun

魂(たまち) (tamachi) 

  1. (religion) soul; spirit

References

  • “たまち【魂】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia