慈姑

See also: 慈菇

Chinese

	compassionate; gentle; merciful compassionate; gentle; merciful; kind; humane	paternal aunt
trad. (慈姑)	慈	姑
simp. ^#(慈姑)	慈	姑
alternative forms	慈菇 “arrowhead” 慈菰 “arrowhead” 茨菇 “arrowhead” 茨菰 “arrowhead”

Etymology

Concerning the name of the plant, Compendium of Materia Medica says:

一根歲生十二子，如慈姑之乳諸子，故以名之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

一根岁生十二子，如慈姑之乳诸子，故以名之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Yī gēn suì shēng shí'èr zǐ, rú cígū zhī rǔ zhū zǐ, gù yǐ míng zhī. [Pinyin]

One [arrowroot] yields twelve fruits, as a kind mother gives birth to many sons, hence it is so called.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): cígū
(Zhuyin): ㄘˊ ㄍㄨ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ci⁴ gu¹
Min Nan (POJ): chû-ko͘
Wu (Wiktionary): zr ku (T3)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: cígū → cígu (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄘˊ ㄍㄨ → ㄘˊ ˙ㄍㄨ (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Tongyong Pinyin: cíhgů
  - Wade–Giles: tzʻŭ²-ku⁵
  - Yale: tsź-gu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsyr.gu
  - Palladius: цыгу (cygu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰz̩³⁵ ku⁵⁵/ → /t͡sʰz̩³⁵ g̊u³/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    慈姑
    慈菇
    茨菰
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: ci⁴ gu¹
  - Yale: chìh gū
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsi⁴ gu¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: qi⁴ gu¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiː²¹ kuː⁵⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chû-ko͘
  - Tâi-lô: tsû-koo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zu'kof
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡su²⁴⁻²² kɔ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡su²³⁻³³ kɔ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /t͡su²⁴⁻¹¹ kɔ⁴⁴/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: zr ku (T3)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /z̥z̩²² kv̩ʷ⁴⁴/

Noun

慈姑

(literary) husband's mother; mother-in-law
arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia)
(dialectal) water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis)

Synonyms

(arrowhead):

Dialectal synonyms of 慈姑 (“arrowhead”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		慈姑
Mandarin	Taiwan	慈姑
	Harbin	慈姑
	Jinan	慈姑
	Luoyang	慈姑
	Xi'an	慈姑
	Yinchuan	慈姑
	Wuhan	慈姑
	Chengdu	慈姑兒
	Guiyang	慈姑
	Liuzhou	慈姑
	Xuzhou	慈姑
	Yangzhou	慈姑
	Nanjing	慈姑
Cantonese	Hong Kong	慈姑
	Dongguan	慈姑
	Beihai	慈姑
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	慈姑
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	慈姑
	Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	慈姑
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	慈姑
	Móng Cái	慈姑
Gan	Nanchang	慈姑
Hakka	Hong Kong	芽菇
Huizhou	Jixi	慈姑
Min Nan	Xiamen	田藕
	Leizhou	水菇囝
	Haikou	慈姑
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	慈姑
Wu	Shanghai	慈姑
	Shanghai (Chongming)	慈姑
	Suzhou	慈姑
	Danyang	慈姑
	Hangzhou	慈姑
	Ningbo	慈姑
	Wenzhou	慈姑
	Jinhua	慈姑

(water chestnut):

Dialectal synonyms of 荸薺 (“Chinese water chestnut”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		芍, 鳧茈, 鳧茨, 烏芋
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		荸薺
Taxonomic name		荸薺
Mandarin	Beijing	荸薺
	Taiwan	荸薺
	Tianjin	荸薺
	Chengde	荸薺
	Tangshan	荸薺
	Cangzhou	荸薺, 地梨兒
	Baoding	荸薺, 地梨兒
	Shijiazhuang	荸薺
	Chifeng	地梨兒
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	荸薺
	Heihe	地梨
	Qiqihar	地梨
	Harbin	荸薺
	Baicheng	地梨
	Tonghua	地梨
	Shenyang	荸薺
	Dandong	荸薺
	Jinzhou	荸薺
	Dalian	荸薺
	Yantai	地梨兒
	Yantai (Muping)	地梨兒
	Qingdao	地薺
	Lijin	荸薺
	Zhucheng	地薺
	Jinan	荸薺
	Jining	荸薺
	Luoyang	荸薺
	Shangqiu	荸薺
	Yuanyang	荸薺
	Zhengzhou	荸薺
	Lingbao	荸薺
	Xinyang	地梨兒
	Baihe	荸薺
	Hanzhong	荸薺
	Xi'an	荸薺
	Baoji	荸薺
	Yinchuan	荸薺
	Tianshui	荸薺
	Lanzhou	荸薺
	Dunhuang	荸薺
	Xining	荸薺
	Hami	荸薺
	Ürümqi	荸薺
	Wuhan	荸薺
	Huanggang	荸薺
	Yichang	荸球
	Xiangyang	荸薺
	Tianmen	荸薺
	Hong'an	荸薺
	Chengdu	慈姑兒, 荸薺
	Nanchong	土菜瓜
	Dazhou	荸蒜兒
	Hanyuan	荸薺
	Xichang	荸薺
	Zigong	荸薺
	Chongqing	荸薺兒
	Guiyang	荸薺
	Zunyi	荸薺
	Bijie	荸薺
	Liping	荸薺
	Zhaotong	荸薺
	Dali	荸薺
	Kunming	荸薺
	Mengzi	荸薺
Guilin	馬蹄
Guilin (Lingui)	馬蹄
Liuzhou	馬蹄, 蒲薺, 蒲慈 dated
Liuzhou (Luorong)	馬蹄
Jishou	荸薺子
Changde	薺米
Xuzhou	荸薺
Fuyang	荸薺, 地梨子
Wuhu	薺子
Yangzhou	荸薺
Lianyungang	荸薺
Nanjing	荸薺
Hefei	荸薺
Nantong	荸薺
Singapore	馬蹄
Cantonese	Guangzhou	馬蹄
	Hong Kong	馬蹄
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	馬蹄
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	馬蹄
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	馬蹄
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	馬蹄
	Macau	馬蹄
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	馬蹄
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	馬蹄
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	馬蹄
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	馬蹄
	Foshan	馬蹄
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	馬蹄
	Foshan (Shunde)	馬蹄
	Foshan (Sanshui)	馬蹄
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	馬蹄
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	馬蹄
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	馬蹄
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	馬蹄
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	馬薺
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	馬薺
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	馬薺
	Taishan	馬薺
	Taishan (Guanghai)	馬薺
	Kaiping (Chikan)	馬薺
	Enping (Niujiang)	馬薺
	Heshan (Yayao)	馬蹄
	Dongguan	田薺, 馬蹄
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	馬蹄
	Qingyuan	馬蹄
	Fogang	馬薺
	Yingde (Hanguang)	馬蹄
	Yangshan	馬蹄
	Lianshan (Butian)	馬蹄子
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	馬蹄
	Shaoguan	馬蹄
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	馬蹄
	Renhua	馬薺
	Lechang	馬蹄
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	馬蹄
	Sihui	馬蹄
	Guangning	馬蹄
	Deqing	馬蹄
	Huaiji	馬蹄
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	馬蹄
	Yunfu	馬蹄
	Xinxing	馬蹄
	Luoding	馬蹄
	Yunan (Pingtai)	馬蹄
	Yangjiang	馬蹄子
	Xinyi	馬蹄子
	Maoming (Xinpo)	馬蹄
	Lianjiang	馬蹄子
	Nanning	馬蹄
	Wuzhou	馬蹄
	Yulin	馬蹄
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	馬蹄, 馬蹄子
	Hepu (Shatian)	馬蹄
	Guiping	馬蹄
	Mengshan (Xihe)	馬蹄
	Guigang (Nanjiang)	馬蹄
	Beiliu (Tangliao)	馬蹄
	Baise	馬蹄
	Bobai	馬蹄
Lingshan	荸薺
Pubei	荸薺
Qinzhou	馬蹄
Beihai	馬蹄
Beihai (Nankang)	馬蹄
Beihai (Yingpan)	馬蹄子
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	馬蹄
Ningming	馬蹄
Hengxian	馬蹄
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	馬蹄
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	馬蹄
Penang (Guangfu)	馬蹄
Singapore (Guangfu)	馬蹄
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	馬蹄
Móng Cái	馬蹄
Mandalay (Taishan)	馬薺
Gan	Nanchang	荸救
	Lichuan	馬絲
	Pingxiang	慈姑
Hakka	Meixian	馬薺, 馬蹄
	Xingning	馬薺
	Dabu (Xihe)	馬薺
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	馬薺, 馬蹄
	Huizhou (Shuikou Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Huizhou (Hengli Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Huidong (Pingshan Bendihua)	馬薺
	Huidong (Daling)	馬薺, 馬蹄
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	馬薺
	Longmen (Pingling Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Longmen (Luxi Bendihua)	馬薺
	Boluo (Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	馬蹄
	Zengcheng (Zhengguo)	馬蹄
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	馬蹄
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	馬蹄
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Zijin (Guzhu Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Longchuan (Sidu Bendihua)	馬薺
	Heping (Linzhai Bendihua)	馬薺
	Lianping (Zhongxin Bendihua)	馬蹄薺
	Lianping (Longjie Bendihua)	馬蹄
	Wengyuan	馬薺
	Xinfeng (Matou Bendihua)	馬薺
	Xinfeng (Daxi Bendihua)	馬薺
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	馬蹄
	Liannan	馬蹄
	Conghua (Lütian)	馬薺
	Jiexi	馬薺
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	薺蔥
	Changting	馬薺
	Wuping	馬薺
	Wuping (Yanqian)	馬薺
	Wuping (Pingyu)	馬薺
	Liancheng	馬薺
	Ninghua	馬薺
	Yudu	馬薺, 馬薺子
	Ningdu	馬薺子
	Ruijin	馬薺
	Shicheng	馬薺
	Shangyou (Shexi)	荸薺
	Tonggu (Sandu)	馬薺
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	荸薺
	Dayu	荸薺
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	馬薺
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	馬薺
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	馬薺
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	馬薺, 脆薯
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	馬薺
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	馬薺
	Hong Kong	馬蹄
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	馬蹄子
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	馬蹄子
	Xinyi (Sihe)	馬蹄
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	馬蹄
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	馬蹄
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	馬蹄
	Huazhou (Xin'an)	馬蹄子
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	馬蹄
	Lianjiang (Qingping)	蹄子
	Mengshan (Xihe)	馬蹄
	Luchuan	馬蹄
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	馬蹄
Beiliu (Tang'an)	馬蹄
Mashan (Pianlian)	馬薺
Kuala Lumpur (Dabu)	馬蹄
Senai (Huiyang)	馬蹄
Huizhou	Jixi	荸薺
	Shexian	荸薺
	Tunxi	荸薺
	Xiuning	荸薺
	Yixian	荸薺
	Qimen	荸薺
	Wuyuan	蒲薺
	Chun'an (Qiandaohu)	荸薺
	Chun'an (Jiangjia)	荸薺
	Jiande (Meicheng)	荸薺
	Jiande (Shouchang)	地荸薺
Jin	Taiyuan	荸薺
	Linfen	地梨兒
	Jining	地梨
	Hohhot	地梨兒
	Erenhot	地梨兒
	Pingshan	地梨兒
	Zhangjiakou	荸薺
	Suide	荸薺
Min Bei	Jian'ou	莓薺
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	莓薺
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	莓薺, 網薺
	Pucheng (Shibei)	蠓薺
Min Dong	Fuzhou	莓薺
	Changle	莓薺
	Fuqing	莓薺
	Yongtai	莓薺
	Gutian	莓薺
	Fu'an	薺栗
	Ningde	莓薺
	Shouning	水薺
	Zhouning	莓薺
	Fuding	莓薺
	Matsu	莓薺
Min Nan	Xiamen	馬薺
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	馬薺
	Quanzhou	馬薺
	Jinjiang	馬薺
	Yongchun	馬薺
	Zhangzhou	田藕
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	田薺仔
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	田藕
	Pinghe	馬薺
	Zhangpu	田藕
	Yunxiao	錢蔥
	Zhao'an	錢蔥
	Dongshan	馬薺蔥
	Taipei	馬薺
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	馬薺
	Kaohsiung	馬薺
	Yilan	馬薺
	Changhua (Lukang)	馬薺
	Taichung	馬薺
	Taichung (Wuqi)	馬薺
	Tainan	馬薺
	Taitung	馬薺
	Hsinchu	馬薺
	Kinmen	馬薺
	Penghu (Magong)	馬薺
	Penang (Hokkien)	馬蹄
	Singapore (Hokkien)	馬薺, 錢蔥
	Longyan	田藕
	Datian	馬薺, 荸薺
	Chaozhou	錢蔥
	Raoping	錢蔥
	Shantou	錢蔥
	Shantou (Chenghai)	錢蔥
	Jieyang	錢蔥
	Puning	錢蔥
	Haifeng	馬蹄
	Bangkok (Teochew)	錢蔥
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	錢蔥
	Leizhou	馬蹄子
	Haikou	馬蹄子
	Qionghai	馬蹄子
Puxian Min	Putian	莓薺
Puxian Min	Xianyou	莓薺
Min Zhong	Yong'an	馬薺
	Sanyuan	馬薺
	Shaxian	馬薺
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	馬蹄
Zhongshan Min	Sanxiang	馬蹄
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	馬蹄
	Nanning (Shajing)	馬蹄
	Binyang (Xinqiao)	馬蹄
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	荸薺
	Guilin (Chaoyang)	荸薺
	Guilin (Zhuyuan)	荸薺
	Yangshuo (Jima)	荸薺
Wu	Shanghai	荸薺, 地栗
	Shanghai (Chongming)	地栗
	Suzhou	荸薺
	Wuxi	荸薺
	Danyang	荸薺
	Hangzhou	荸薺
	Ningbo	蒲薺, 地栗
	Wenzhou	荸薺
	Jinhua	蒲薺
	Jinhua (Tangxi)	糖蒲薺
Xiang	Changsha	荸薺, 荸薺子, 慈姑子
	Xiangtan	慈姑子
	Loudi	慈姑子
	Shuangfeng	慈姑子
	Quanzhou	馬蹄
	Guanyang (Wenshi)	馬蹄

Derived terms

慈姑子
慈姑椗 (ci4 gu1 ding3)

慈姑兒／慈姑儿

Japanese

慈姑 (kuwai): the arrowhead plant.

Kanji in this term
慈	姑
くわい
Grade: S	Hyōgaiji
jukujikun

Etymology

Unknown. One theory suggests that this is an alteration from 川芋 (kawa imo, “river tuber”), but the old kana spelling of くわゐ (kuwawi) for 慈姑 does not match the old kana spelling of かはうも (kafaumo) for 川芋. This is more likely a compound of 鍬 (kuwa, “plow”), from the shape of the leaves, plus an unknown element ゐ (wi).

The kanji are an orthographic borrowing from Chinese name for this plant.

Pronunciation

(Irregular reading)

(Tokyo) くわい [kùwáí] (Heiban – [0])[1][2]
IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ᵝɰᵝa̠i]

Noun

慈姑(くわい) • (kuwai) ^{←くわゐ (kwawi)^?}

(botany) the arrowhead plant, Sagittaria trifolia var. edulis, cultivated since ancient times for its edible bulb

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as クワイ.

References

1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-1] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

[DJR-2] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN