夷

夷	U+5937, 夷 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5937

← 夶
[U+5936]

CJK Unified Ideographs

夸 →
[U+5938]

Translingual

Han character

夷 (Kangxi radical 37, 大+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 大弓 (KN) or X大弓 (XKN), four-corner 5003₂, composition ⿻大弓)

Derived terms

姨, 咦, 胰, 蛦, 桋, 跠, 鮧, 侇, 峓, 恞, 痍, 洟, 羠, 鴺, 荑, 𢓡

References

KangXi: page 249, character 15

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5852

Dae Jaweon: page 509, character 7

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 527, character 5

Unihan data for U+5937

Chinese

⿻夫㇆ - 1981
simp. and trad.		夷
2nd round simp.		⿻夫㇆

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 夷
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (夷) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
桋	l'iːl, lil
荑	l'iːl, lil
銕	l'iːl, l̥ʰiːd
鴺	l'iːl, lil
鮧	l'iːl, lil
洟	l̥ʰiːls, lil
羠	ljilʔ, lil
咦	*hril
夷	*lil
姨	*lil
痍	*lil
峓	*lil
恞	*lil
眱	*lil
蛦	*lil
胰	lil, lɯ
跠	*lil

Originally ideogrammic compound (會意) : 矢 (“arrow”) + [Term?] (“rope”).Later forms ideogrammic compound (會意) : 大 (“person; big”) + 弓 (“bow”).

Etymology

According to Yuè Juè Shū (越絕書), 夷 (OC *lil) is also the Yue word for "sea" (1). Therefore, Schuessler (2007) proposes an Austroasiatic origin; compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *d(n)liʔ (“large river, sea”) (whence Khmer ទន្លេ (tŭənlei, “large river”) and Kuy thlèː (“sea”)). Meanwhile, Schuessler associates similar Hmong forms like Chuanqiandian Cluster Miao tl̥e (“river”) (< Proto-Hmong-Mien *gle) to 溪 (OC *kʰeː) "creek, rivulet, rill" instead.

In contrast, Ferlus (2009) reconstructs 夷's Old Chinese pronunciation as [lɨ] and connects 夷 to Proto-Kra-Dai *k-ri: (“Kra-Dai endonym”) (whence Thai ไท (tai, “"Tai endonym"”) and Hlai Hlai (“"Hlai endonym"”)). However, Ferlus concedes that such a derivation of 夷 from *k-ri: "remains speculative, [...] not as firmly established as for Hlai and Tai/Thai".

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yí (yi²)
(Zhuyin): ㄧˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ji⁴
Min Bei (KCR): ǐ
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): thâi / î
(Teochew, Peng'im): i⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yí
  - Zhuyin: ㄧˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yí
  - Wade–Giles: i²
  - Yale: yí
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yi
  - Palladius: и (i)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /i³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: ji⁴
  - Yale: yìh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ji⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: yi⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː²¹/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ǐ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thâi
  - Tâi-lô: thâi
  - Phofsit Daibuun: taai
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰai¹³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /tʰai²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: î
  - Tâi-lô: î
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ii
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Taipei, Xiamen): /i²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /i²³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /i¹³/

Note:

thâi - vernacular;
î - literary.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: i⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: î
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 夷
Mandarin	Beijing	/i³⁵/
	Harbin	/i²⁴/
	Tianjin	/i⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/i⁴²/
	Qingdao	/i⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/i⁴²/
	Xi'an	/i²⁴/
	Xining	/ji²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/i⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/i⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/i⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/i²¹³/
	Chengdu	/i³¹/
	Guiyang	/i²¹/
	Kunming	/i³¹/
	Nanjing	/i²⁴/
	Hefei	/zz̩⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/i¹¹/
	Pingyao	/i¹³/
	Hohhot	/i³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɦi²³/
	Suzhou	/ɦi¹³/
	Hangzhou	/ɦi²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/ji³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/i⁴⁴/
Hui	Tunxi	/i⁴⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/i¹³/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/i¹²/
Gan	Nanchang	/i⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/i¹¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/ʒï¹¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/ji²¹/
	Nanning	/ji²¹/
	Hong Kong	/ji²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/i³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/i⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/i²¹/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/i⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/zi³¹/

Middle Chinese: /jiɪ/

Rime
Character	夷
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	脂 (15)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	以脂切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jiɪ/
Pan Wuyun	/ji/
Shao Rongfen	/jɪ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ji/
Li Rong	/i/
Wang Li	/ji/
Bernard Karlgren	/i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yí
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ji⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*ləj/
(Zhengzhang): /*lil/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	夷	夷
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yí	yí
Middle Chinese	‹ yij ›	‹ yij ›
Old Chinese	/*ləj/	/*ləj/
English	level, peaceful	foreigner (especially to the east)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] 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	夷
Reading #	1/1
No.	14862
Phonetic component	夷
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	姨
Old Chinese	/*lil/

Definitions

夷

an ancient tribe in eastern China
barbarian; foreigners
師夷長技以制夷／师夷长技以制夷 [Classical Chinese] ― shī yí cháng jì yǐ zhì yí [Pinyin] ― learn the Westerners' tricks so as to control them
to level; to raze
flat; level; smooth
to eradicate; to obliterate
someone of the same generation
happy; joyous
23rd tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "ease" (𝌜)

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 外國人 (“foreigner”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		夷, 夷人, 外夷, 四夷
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		外國人, 外賓, 外人, 洋人
Mandarin	Beijing	老外, 色糖
	Taiwan	外國人, 老外
	Tianjin	老外
	Harbin	外國人, 老外
	Yantai (Muping)	外國人
	Jinan	外國人, 老外, 洋人
	Luoyang	老外, 洋人, 洋鬼子
	Wanrong	洋人
	Xi'an	老外, 洋人
	Yinchuan	洋人, 老外, 洋鬼子
	Lanzhou	外國人
	Yanqi	外國人
	Wuhan	外國人, 洋人
	Chengdu	老外, 外國人, 洋人
	Guiyang	外國人, 洋人
	Kunming	老外, 洋老咪
	Guilin	外國人
	Liuzhou	老外
	Xuzhou	老外
	Yangzhou	外國人, 老外
	Nanjing	外國人, 老外, 洋人, 洋鬼子
	Singapore	外國人
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	外國人, 夷人
Cantonese	Guangzhou	外國人
	Hong Kong	外國人
	Dongguan	番鬼佬, 鬼佬
	Qinzhou	鬼佬, 外國佬, 番鬼佬
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	老番鬼
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	鬼佬
	Singapore (Guangfu)	外國人
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	鬼佬
	Móng Cái	外國人, 鬼佬
	Yangon (Taishan)	紅毛鬼, 外國人
	Mandalay (Taishan)	外國人
Gan	Nanchang	外國人, 洋人
	Pengze	外國佬
	Lichuan	外國人, 洋人
	Pingxiang	洋人
Hakka	Meixian	外國人, 番人, 番仔, 番鬼
	Yudu	外國人, 外國佬, 洋人
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	外國人
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	外國人
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	外國人
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	外國人
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	外國人
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	外國人
Huizhou	Jixi	外國佬
Jin	Taiyuan	外國人, 洋人, 洋鬼子
Jin	Xinzhou	外國人
Min Bei	Jian'ou	外國人, 番仔
Min Dong	Fuzhou	番儂, 番囝, 番囝哥, 鬼佬
Min Nan	Xiamen	外國儂, 番仔
	Quanzhou	番仔
	Zhangzhou	番仔
	Singapore (Hokkien)	外國儂
	Manila (Hokkien)	外國儂
	Shantou	外國儂, 番鬼, 番囝
	Singapore (Teochew)	外地儂, 外國儂
	Leizhou	番邦儂
Min Zhong	Yanping (Wangtai)	外國人
Zhongshan Min	Sanxiang	番鬼佬
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	外國人
Wu	Shanghai	老外, 外國人, 外頭人, 洋人
	Shanghai (Chongming)	外國人
	Suzhou	外國人
	Danyang	老外, 洋人
	Hangzhou	外國佬兒
	Wenzhou	番人
	Jinhua	外國人, 外國佬, 洋鬼子兒
Xiang	Changsha	外國人, 外國佬, 洋人子, 洋人
Xiang	Loudi	洋人, 外國佬
Note	Terms that include 鬼 and/or 番 are potentially derogatory.

Compounds

Derived terms from 夷

不夷
不夷不惠
以夷伐夷
以夷制夷
以夷治夷
伯夷
伯夷父
冰夷
匪夷所思 (fěiyísuǒsī)
南夷
唐夷
四夷 (sìyí)
均夷作用
坦夷
夏威夷 (Xiàwēiyí)
夏威夷州
夷三族
夷世
夷九族
夷人 (yírén)
夷俟
夷姤
夷平 (yípíng)
夷延
夷惠
夷愉 (yíyú)
夷戮
夷易
夷昧
夷服
夷槃
夷歌
夷漫

夷狄 (yídí)
夷由
夷瘳
夷白
夷衾
夷陵 (Yílíng)
夷靡
女夷
尊王攘夷 (zūnwángrǎngyí)
嵎夷
希夷
平夷
攘夷 (rǎngyí)
新夷
昆夷
明夷 (míngyí)
武夷山 (Wǔyíshān)
民夷
江左夷吾
淮夷
混夷
畎夷
番夷
芟夷 (shānyí)
裔夷
西南夷 (Xīnányí)
辛夷 (xīnyí)
鄙夷 (bǐyí)
陵夷 (língyí)
凌夷
伯夷叔齊／伯夷叔齐
優婆夷／优婆夷
創夷／创夷

化險為夷／化险为夷 (huà xiǎn wéi yí)
參夷／参夷
夷堅志／夷坚志
夷悅／夷悦 (yíyuè)
夷懌／夷怿
夷滅／夷灭
夷為平地／夷为平地 (yíwéipíngdì)
夷猶／夷犹
夷簡／夷简
夷險／夷险
夷險一節／夷险一节
夷齊／夷齐
履險如夷／履险如夷
島夷／岛夷 (dǎoyí)
擺夷／摆夷 (Bǎiyí)
東夷／东夷 (Dōngyí)
毀宗夷族／毁宗夷族
波羅夷／波罗夷
淩夷／凌夷 (língyí)
無夷／无夷
燒夷彈／烧夷弹
猶夷／犹夷
用夏變夷／用夏变夷
蠻夷／蛮夷 (mányí)
蠻夷戎狄／蛮夷戎狄 (mányí róngdí)
視險如夷／视险如夷
視險若夷／视险若夷
讎夷／雠夷
赴險如夷／赴险如夷
醜夷／丑夷
馮夷／冯夷
鳥夷／鸟夷
鴟夷／鸱夷

Japanese

Kanji

夷

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

ancient tribes in eastern China
level (flat and low)
levelled destruction

Readings

Go-on: い (i)
Kan-on: い (i)
Kun: えびす (ebisu, 夷); ころす (korosu, 夷す); たいらげる (tairageru, 夷らげる)^{←たひらげる (tafirageru, historical)}
Nanori: ひな (hina); ひら (hira)

Compounds

以(い)夷(い)攻(こう)夷(い) (iikōi)
夷(い)狄(てき) (iteki)
華(か)夷(い) (Kai)
九(きゅう)夷(い) (Kyūi)
険(けん)夷(い), 嶮(けん)夷(い) (ken'i)
攘(じょう)夷(い) (jōi)
焼(しょう)夷(い) (shōi)
東(とう)夷(い) (Tōi)
平(へい)夷(い) (heii)
蛮(ばん)夷(い), 蕃(ばん)夷(い) (ban'i)
蝦夷(えぞ) (Ezo)
蝦夷(えみし) (Emishi)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
夷
えびす Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

⟨emi₁si⟩ → */emʲisɨ/ → /emisə/ → /ebisu/

Shift from Old Japanese 蝦夷 (Emishi), modern Ezo.

Alternative forms

戎

Pronunciation

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) えびす [éꜜbìsù] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
IPA^(key): [e̞bʲisɨᵝ]

Noun

夷(えびす) • (ebisu)

(historical) Synonym of 蝦夷 (Ezo): an ancient ethnic group attested in the Nihon Shoki that once lived on what is now the Kantō, Hokuriku and Tōhoku regions, likely as far as Hokkaido, possibly related to the Ainu people; dubbed as "barbarians" or "savages" by the Yamato
a person living far away from the 都 (miyako, “capital”), loosely translated to "bumpkin" or "hick"
Synonym: 田舎者 (inakamono)
(regional, derogatory) a barbarian, savage, especially referring to the 東夷 (azuma-ebisu, “warrior from the eastern parts of Japan”)
- 1204, Akishino Gesseishū (book 1, poem 223)
  わがおもふ人(ひと)だにすまばみちのくのえびすの里(さと)もうときものかは
  waga omou hito dani sumaba Michinoku no ebisu no sato utoki mono ka wa
  (please add an English translation of this example)
(by extension, derogatory) a foreigner

Derived terms

東(あずま)夷(えびす) (azuma-ebisu)

Proper noun

夷(えびす) • (Ebisu)

a surname
alternative spelling of 恵比須 (Ebisu), a Shinto god

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
夷
い Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

/ji/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 夷 (MC jiɪ), originally referred to one of the ancient tribes east of China.

Pronunciation

On’yomi

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

Noun

夷(い) • (i)

those people with differing languages and/or cultures
Synonym: 異民族 (iminzoku)
a barbarian, savage; uncivilized people (living to the east of ancient Imperial China; included Japan)
Synonym: 野蛮人 (yabanjin)
a neutral (position)
Synonym: 無色 (mushoku)

Derived terms

征(せい)夷(い) (seii)

Idioms

夷(い)を以(もっ)て夷(い)を制(せい)す (i o motte i o seisu)

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 夷 (MC jiɪ). Recorded as Middle Korean 이 (i) (Yale: i) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource夷 (eumhun 오랑캐 이 (orangkae i))
夷 (eumhun 평평할 이 (pyeongpyeonghal i))

Hanja form^? of 이 (“barbarian”).
Hanja form^? of 이 (“flat; level; smooth”).

Compounds

동이 (東夷, dong'i)
험이 (險夷, heomi)
이적 (夷狄, ijeok)
만이 (蠻夷, mani)
양이 (攘夷, yang'i)
소이 (燒夷, soi)

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

夷: Hán Nôm readings: dì, dai, di, gì, rợ

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

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN