南無

南無

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (南無)		南	無
simp. (南无)		南	无
alternative forms		南摸 南謨／南谟 曩謨／曩谟 南膜 南摩 南摸 南謨／南谟 曩謨／曩谟 南膜 南摩 納慕／纳慕 那謨／那谟 那模 娜母 喃嘸／喃呒

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit नमो (namo), from Sanskrit नमस् (namas, literally “a bow”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nāmó, námó

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄚ ㄇㄛˊ, ㄋㄚˊ ㄇㄛˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): naa¹ mou⁴, naa¹ mo⁴
• Gan (Wiktionary): la⁴ mo⁴
• Min Nan (POJ): lâm-bû / nâ-mô͘

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nāmó
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄚ ㄇㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: namó
    • Wade–Giles: na¹-mo²
    • Yale: nā-mwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nhamo
    • Palladius: намо (namo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nä⁵⁵ mwɔ³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: námó
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄚˊ ㄇㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: námó
    • Wade–Giles: na²-mo²
    • Yale: ná-mwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: namo
    • Palladius: намо (namo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nä³⁵ mwɔ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: naa¹ mou⁴, naa¹ mo⁴
    • Yale: nā mòuh, nā mòh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: naa¹ mou⁴, naa¹ mo⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: na¹ mou⁴, na¹ mo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /naː⁵⁵ mou̯²¹/, /naː⁵⁵ mɔː²¹/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: la⁴ mo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /la³⁵ mo³⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lâm-bû
    • Tâi-lô: lâm-bû
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lambuu
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /lam²⁴⁻²² bu²⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /lam²⁴⁻¹¹ bu²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /lam¹³⁻²² bu¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lam²³⁻³³ bu²³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nâ-mô͘
    • Tâi-lô: nâ-môo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: namoo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /nã²³⁻³³ mɔ̃²³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /nã²⁴⁻¹¹ mɔ̃²⁴/

Verb

南無

1. (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith: to salute; to convert to.

Derived terms

南無佛／南无佛 南無耶／南无耶

南無阿彌陀佛／南无阿弥陀佛 (Nāmó Ēmítuófó)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (南無):

• → Japanese: 南無(なむ) (namu); 南無(なも) (namo)
• → Korean: 나무(南無) (namu)
• → Vietnamese: nam mô (南無)

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
南	無
な Grade: 2 (ateji)	む Grade: 4 (ateji)
on’yomi

Transliteration of Sanskrit नमो (namo), from Sanskrit नमस् (námas, literally “a bow”),[1][2] possibly via Middle Chinese 南無 (MC nʌm mɨo).

Compare Mandarin 南無 (námó).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
• (Tokyo) な​む [náꜜmù] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
• IPA^(key): [na̠mɯ̟ᵝ]

Phrase

南(な)無(む) • (namu) 

1. (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 南無(なむ)阿弥陀(あみだ) (Namu Amida)
• 南無(なむ)阿弥陀(あみだ)仏(ぶつ) (Namu Amida-butsu)
• 南無阿弥(なむおみ)豆腐(どうふ) (namuomi-dōfu)
• 南無(なむ)帰命(きみょう) (namu kimyō)
• 南無(なむ)三(さん) (namu san)
• 南無(なむ)三宝(さんぼう) (Namu Sanbō)
• 南無(なむ)当来(とうらい)導師(どうし) (Namu Tōrai Dōshi)
• 南無(なむ)妙法(みょうほう)蓮華(れんげ)経(きょう) (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
南	無
な Grade: 2 (ateji)	も Grade: 4 (ateji)
on’yomi

Likely a borrowing from Mandarin 南無 (námó), utilizing the 唐音 (Tō-on, “Tang sound”) reading of 無 (mo).

Alternative forms

• 南謨

Phrase

南(な)無(も) • (namo) 

1. (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith

See also

• 帰(き)命(みょう) (kimyō)

References

1. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN