歲
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Translingual
| Traditional | 歲 |
|---|---|
| Shinjitai | 歳 |
| Simplified | 岁 |
Han character
歲 (Kangxi radical 77, 止+9, 13 strokes, cangjie input 卜一戈竹竹 (YMIHH), four-corner 21253, composition ⿱止⿵戌𣥂)
Derived characters
- 劌, 噦, 奯, 檅, 濊, 獩, 穢, 翽, 薉, 鐬, 顪, 饖, 鱥, 䠩, 䮹, 𢆫, 𣦧, 𣦭, 𣦮, 𧸗
References
- KangXi: page 577, character 2
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16326
- Dae Jaweon: page 967, character 17
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1443, character 20
- Unihan data for U+6B72
- Unihan data for U+2F8F3
Chinese
| trad. | 歲 | |
|---|---|---|
| simp. | 岁 | |
| alternative forms | 嵗 歳 𡻕 𫞓 𢧡 嵗 歳 𡻕 𫞓 𢧡 𢧁 𭭚 㞸 亗 㒸 | |
Glyph origin
| Historical forms of the character 歲 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shang | Western Zhou | Spring and Autumn | Warring States | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) | |
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Bronze inscriptions | Chu slip and silk script | Qin slip script | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Old Chinese | |
|---|---|
| 噦 | *qʰʷaːds, *qʷrad, *qʷad |
| 翽 | *qʰʷaːds |
| 鐬 | *qʰʷaːds |
| 濊 | *qʰʷaːds, *qʷaːds, *qʷads, *qʰʷaːd |
| 歲 | *sqʰʷads, *sqʰʷad |
| 劌 | *kʷrads |
| 顪 | *qʰʷads |
| 穢 | *qʷads |
| 薉 | *qʷads |
| 獩 | *qʷads |
| 饖 | *qʷads |
| 奯 | *qʰʷaːd |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *sqʰʷads, *sqʰʷad) : semantic 步 + phonetic 戉 (OC *ɢʷad). In addition to 戉, various components such as 月 (“moon; month”) used to be present, sometimes as simple as two dots. The current form derives from the Qin-style handwriting of the late Warring States (with a full-width 止 on the top and a bottom-left 撇 stroke extending outward as in 戊 or 戌 instead of bending inward as in 戉), which was also inherited by the clerical script.
Etymology
A derivative of 越 (OC *ɢʷad, “to pass over”) (Mei, 1979, 1992). Ultimately probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *grwat (“to travel; to go through”); compare Tibetan སྐྱོད (skyod, “to go”) (Mei, 1979, 1992; Gong Hwang-cherng, 2002; STEDT).
The functions of the *s- prefix and the *-s suffix are not clear. Possible explanations include:
- *s- as a directive prefix and *-s as a nominalizer (Mei, 1992);
- *s- is an iterative prefix, literally "to pass on again" (Schuessler, 2007);
- *s- (possibly with *-s) as a nominalizer (Smith, 2012).
Alternatively, it may be derived from a word like 圓 (OC *ɢon, “round; circle”) (< Proto-Sino-Tibetan *wal (“round; circular”)), literally "to start the circle/cycle again" (Schuessler, 2007).
Outside of Sino-Tibetan, this word has been compared to Thai ขวบ (kùuap, “year”), which Bodman (1980) considers to be a loan from Chinese, as well as Proto-Austronesian *kawaS (“year; season; sky”) (Sagart, 2005).
Also see Schuessler (2007) and Smith (2012) for a discussion on the semantic development of this word, especially the connection between "Jupiter" and "year".
Pronunciation
Definitions
歲
- (literary) Jupiter (planet)
- 昔武王伐殷，歲在鶉火，……歲之所在，則我有周之分野也，…… [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Guoyu, circa 4th century BCE
- Xī Wǔwáng fá Yīn, Suì zài Chúnhuǒ,...... Suì zhī suǒzài, zé wǒ Yǒuzhōu zhī fēnyě yě,...... [Pinyin]
- Formerly when King Wu attacked Yin, the Year Star / Jupiter was in Quail Fire, [...] The Year Star / Jupiter was in the [heavenly] region allotted to us, the Youzhou, [...]
昔武王伐殷，岁在鹑火，……岁之所在，则我有周之分野也，…… [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- year
- 子曰：「歲寒，然後知松柏之後彫也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Zǐ yuē: “Suì hán, rán hòu zhī sōngbǎi zhī hòu diāo yě.” [Pinyin]
- The Master said, "When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves."
子曰：“岁寒，然后知松柏之后凋也。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- Tai Sui, the god representing each of these years
- (literary) age
- (literary) time; period
- (literary) crop harvests of the year
- 苟無歲，何有民？苟無民，何有君？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5th – 3rd centuries BCE
- Gǒu wú suì, hé yǒu mín? Gǒu wú mín, hé yǒu jūn? [Pinyin]
- Whence the people, if not for the harvests? Whence the prince, if not for the people?
苟无岁，何有民？苟无民，何有君？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- Classifier for time: year
- Classifier for age (of a person or animal): year old
- 你現在幾歲？／你现在几岁？ ― Nǐ xiànzài jǐ suì? ― How old are you now?
- 我十八歲。／我十八岁。 ― Wǒ shíbā suì. ― I am 18 years old.
- 一個十歲的女孩／一个十岁的女孩 ― yīge shí suì de nǚhái ― a ten-year-old girl
Usage notes
Ages in 歲／岁 (suì) are traditionally reckoned using the Chinese lunar calendar, considered as 1 year old at the moment of birth and increasing not during birthdays, but at the Chinese New Year.
See also
- 年 (nián, “year < harvest”)
- 年紀／年纪 (niánjì)
- 年齡／年龄 (niánlíng)
Compounds
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Descendants
- → Japanese: 歳 (sai)
- → Korean: 세(歲) (se)
- → Vietnamese: tuế (歲)
References
- “歲”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database), 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
- “Entry #9664”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.
Japanese
Kanji
(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)
- Alternative form of - 歳 (sai, “year (age counter)”)
- Alternative form of - 才 (sai, “year (age counter)”)
Readings
- On (unclassified): せい (sei), さい (sai)
- Kun: とし (toshi), よわい (yowai)
Usage notes
This character lacks JIS support and is not used in Japan. The character 歳 (U+6B73) is used instead.
Korean
Etymology
From Middle Chinese 歲 (MC siuᴇiH). Recorded as Middle Korean 셰 (syey) (Yale: syey) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.
Hanja
Wikisource歲 (eumhun 해 세 (hae se))
- Hanja form? of 세 (“age (counter); year (about age”).
Compounds
- 세월 (歲月, sewol)
- 세배 (歲拜, sebae)
- 연세 (年歲, yeonse)
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
歲: Hán Nôm readings: tuế, tuổi
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