癌

癌	U+764C, 癌 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-764C

← 癋
[U+764B]

CJK Unified Ideographs

癍 →
[U+764D]

Translingual

Han character

癌 (Kangxi radical 104, 疒+12, 17 strokes, cangjie input 大口口山 (KRRU), four-corner 0017₂, composition ⿸疒嵒)

References

KangXi: not present, would follow page 781, character 10

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 22538

Dae Jaweon: page 1190, character 23

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2697, character 4

Unihan data for U+764C

Chinese

simp. and trad.		癌

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲) : semantic 疒 + phonetic 嵒 (OC *ŋrɯːm, *ŋjab); 嵒 is a variant of 岩.

Etymology

From 岩 (yán, “cliff; rock, stone”), since some cancers present as lumps or outgrowths on the body.

In Mandarin, this character used to be pronounced identically as 岩 (yán). Its pronunciation was changed to ái in December 1962 to avoid the homophony between 癌 (yán, “cancer”) and 炎 (yán, “inflammation”) (compare 肺炎 (fèiyán, “pneumonia”) and 肺癌 (fèi'ái, “lung cancer”)). The new pronunciation ái stems from dialectal pronunciations of 岩 (“rock; cliff”) /ŋai/, influenced by 崖 (yá, yái, “cliff”).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): ái, yán
(Zhuyin): ㄞˊ, ㄧㄢˊ
(Chengdu, SP): ngai²
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): ngaam⁴
(Taishan, Wiktionary): ngam³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): ngàm
(Meixian, Guangdong): ngam²
Jin (Wiktionary): ghai¹
Min Dong (BUC): ngàng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): gâm
(Teochew, Peng'im): ngam⁵
Wu (Wiktionary): nge (T3)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ái
  - Zhuyin: ㄞˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ái
  - Wade–Giles: ai²
  - Yale: ái
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: air
  - Palladius: ай (aj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀaɪ̯³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, variant in Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yán
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yán
  - Wade–Giles: yen²
  - Yale: yán
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yan
  - Palladius: янь (janʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: ngai²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ngai
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋai²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: ngaam⁴
  - Yale: ngàahm
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ngaam⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: ngam⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaːm²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: ngam³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡam²²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngàm
  - Hakka Romanization System: ngamˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: ngam²
  - Sinological IPA: /ŋam¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: ngam²
  - Sinological IPA: /ŋam¹¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: ghai¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɣai¹¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ngàng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaŋ⁵³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Yongchun, Changtai, Zhangpu, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gâm
  - Tâi-lô: gâm
  - Phofsit Daibuun: gaam
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Yongchun, Changtai, Taipei): /ɡam²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡam²³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡam¹³/
  - IPA (Zhangpu): /ɡam²¹³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: ngam⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ngâm
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋam⁵⁵/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: nge (T3)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋe̞²³/

Definitions

癌

cancer, carcinoma
癌症 ― áizhèng ― cancer
致癌 ― zhì'ái ― to cause cancer
肺癌 ― fèi'ái ― lung cancer
直男癌 ― zhínán'ái ― male chauvinism (literally, “straight men's cancer”)

Compounds

乳癌 (rǔ'ái)
乳腺癌 (rǔxiàn'ái)
前列腺癌 (qiánlièxiàn'ái)
卵巢癌 (luǎncháo'ái)
口腔癌 (kǒuqiāng'ái)
喉癌 (hóu'ái)
患癌 (huàn'ái)
抗癌 (kàng'ái)
淋巴癌 (línbā'ái)
癌症 (áizhèng)
癌瘤 (áiliú)
直男癌 (zhínán'ái)
肝癌 (gān'ái)

肺癌 (fèi'ái)
胃癌 (wèi'ái)
胰腺癌 (yíxiàn'ái)
腺癌 (xiàn'ái)
膀胱癌 (pángguāng'ái)
致癌 (zhì'ái)
血癌 (xuè'ái)
防癌 (fáng'ái)
食道癌 (shídào'ái)
骨癌 (gǔ'ái)
鼻咽癌 (bíyān'ái)
大腸癌／大肠癌 (dàcháng'ái)

子宮癌／子宫癌 (zǐgōng'ái)
子宮頸癌／子宫颈癌 (zǐgōngjǐng'ái)
宮頸癌／宫颈癌 (gōngjǐng'ái)
癌細胞／癌细胞 (áixìbāo)
癌腫／癌肿 (áizhǒng)
癌變／癌变 (áibiàn)
皮膚癌／皮肤癌 (pífū'ái)
直腸癌／直肠癌 (zhícháng'ái)
腎癌／肾癌 (shèn'ái)
腎臟癌／肾脏癌 (shènzàng'ái)
腦癌／脑癌 (nǎo'ái)
腸癌／肠癌 (cháng'ái)

References

“癌”, 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–
普通話異讀詞審音表初稿(第三編) [Third List of Pronunciation Standards for Words with Multiple Readings in Putonghua, Draft] (in Chinese), 文字改革 [Script Reform], Issue 85, December 1962, page 1

Japanese

Kanji

癌

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

cancer

Readings

Go-on: げん (gen)
Kan-on: がん (gan)

Compounds

胃(い)癌(がん) (igan): stomach cancer
咽(いん)頭(とう)癌(がん) (intōgan)
癌(がん)遺(い)伝(でん)子(し) (gan'idenshi)
癌(がん)ウイルス (gan'uirusu)
癌(がん)化(か) (ganka)
癌(がん)細(さい)胞(ぼう) (gansaibō)
肝(かん)細(さい)胞(ぼう)癌(がん) (kansaibōgan)
癌(がん)腫(しゅ) (ganshu): carcinoma
肝(かん)臓(ぞう)癌(がん) (kanzōgan)
癌(がん)抑(よく)制(せい)遺(い)伝(でん)子(し) (gan'yokuseiidenshi)
結(けっ)腸(ちょう)癌(がん) (ketchōgan)
抗(こう)癌(がん)剤(ざい) (kōganzai)
口(こう)腔(くう)癌(がん) (kōkūgan)
甲(こう)状(じょう)腺(せん)癌(がん) (kōjōsengan)
硬(こう)性(せい)癌(がん) (kōseigan)
喉(こう)頭(とう)癌(がん) (kōtōgan)
子(し)宮(きゅう)癌(がん) (shikyūgan)
子(し)宮(きゅう)頸(けい)癌(がん) (shikyūkeigan): cervical cancer
子(し)宮(きゅう)体(たい)癌(がん) (shikyūtaigan)
小(しょう)児(に)癌(がん) (shōnigan)
食(しょく)道(どう)癌(がん) (shokudōgan): esophageal cancer
腎(じん)臓(ぞう)癌(がん) (jinzōgan)
水(すい)癌(がん) (suigan): noma
膵(すい)臓(ぞう)癌(がん) (suizōgan)
制(せい)癌(がん)剤(ざい) (seiganzai)
制(せい)癌(がん)物(ぶっ)質(しつ) (seiganbusshitsu)
舌(ぜつ)癌(がん) (zetsugan)
腺(せん)癌(がん) (sengan): adenocarcinoma
前(ぜん)癌(がん)状(じょう)態(たい) (zenganjōtai)
前(ぜん)立(りつ)腺(せん)癌(がん) (zenritsusengan)
早(そう)期(き)癌(がん) (sōkigan)
タール癌(がん) (tārugan)
大(だい)腸(ちょう)癌(がん) (daichōgan)
胆(たん)管(かん)癌(がん) (tankangan)
胆(たん)囊(のう)癌(がん) (tannōgan)
腸(ちょう)癌(がん) (chōgan)
直(ちょく)腸(ちょう)癌(がん) (chokuchōgan)
乳(にゅう)癌(がん) (nyūgan): breast cancer
粘(ねん)膜(まく)内(ない)癌(がん) (nenmakunaigan)
肺(はい)癌(がん) (haigan): lung cancer
発(はつ)癌(がん) (hatsugan): carcinogenesis
皮(ひ)膚(ふ)癌(がん) (hifugan): skin cancer
扁(へん)平(ぺい)上(じょう)皮(ひ)癌(がん) (henpeijōhigan)
膀(ぼう)胱(こう)癌(がん) (bōkōgan): bladder cancer
未(み)分(ぶん)化(か)癌(がん) (mibunkagan)
卵(らん)巣(そう)癌(がん) (ransōgan)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
癌
がん Hyōgaiji
kan’on

From Middle Chinese 癌.

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Kan’on

(Tokyo) がん [gáꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
IPA^(key): [ɡã̠ɴ]
Audio File:Ja-gan.ogg (file)

Noun

癌(がん) • (gan)

(medicine, oncology, pathology) cancer
彼(かれ)の祖(そ)母(ぼ)は癌(がん)で死(し)んだ。
Kare no sobo wa gan de shinda.
His grandmother died of cancer.
- 1997 September 1 [Oct 10 1996], Fujiko F. Fujio, “くたばれ評(ひょう)論(ろん)家(か)　の巻(まき) [The Drop-Dead Critic]”, in エスパー魔美 [Esper Mami], volume 1 (fiction), 4th edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 151:
  え？剣(つるぎ)鋭(えい)介(すけ)がガン⁉
  E? Tsurugi Eisuke ga gan⁉
  What? Eisuke Tsurugi has cancer!?
  文(ぶん)化(か)部(ぶ)の立(たち)原(はら)さんにきいたの、再(さい)発(はつ)ですって。ガン細(さい)胞(ぼう)があちこち転(てん)移(い)してて、こんどはダメだろうと………
  Bunkabu no Tachihara-san ni kiita no, saihatsu desu tte. Gan saibō ga achi kochi ten'i shite te, kondo wa dame darō to………
  I heard that from Mr. Tachihara of the Department of Culture, sounds like it’s a recurrence. The cancer cells have been spreading, seems like there’s not much hope this time around...
(figurative) cancer
中(ちゅう)央(おう)集(しゅう)権(けん)体(たい)制(せい)は社(しゃ)会(かい)の癌(がん)になっている。
Chūō shūken taisei wa shakai no gan ni natte iru.
The centralized administrative system has become a cancer of society.

Usage notes

This term is often spelled in katakana, especially in medical contexts, as ガン.

References

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

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 癌.

Hanja

Wikisource癌 (eumhun 암 암 (am am))

Hanja form^? of 암 (“cancer”).

Compounds

뇌암 (腦癌, noeam)
설암 (舌癌, seoram)
수암 (水癌, suam)
암유 (癌乳, amyu)
암종 (癌腫, amjong)
간암 (肝癌, ganam)
위암 (胃癌, wiam)
폐암 (肺癌, pyeam)
발암 (發癌, baram)
항암 (抗癌, hang'am)
암적 (癌的, amjeok)
췌암 (膵癌, chweam)
유방암 (乳房癌, yubang'am)
대장암 (大腸癌, daejang'am)
피부암 (皮膚癌, pibuam)
암세포 (癌細胞, amsepo)
자궁암 (子宮癌, jagung'am)
후두암 (喉頭癌, huduam)
항암제 (抗癌劑, hang'amje)
방광암 (膀胱癌, banggwang'am)
직장암 (直腸癌, jikjang'am)
폐장암 (肺臟癌, pyejang'am)
궤양암 (潰瘍癌, gweyang'am)
발암물질 (發癌物質, barammuljil)

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

癌: Hán Việt readings: nham[1][2][3]
癌: Nôm readings: nham[1]

chữ Hán form of nham (“cancer, mainly in compounds”).

References

Trần (2004).
Nguyễn (1974).
Thiều Chửu (1942).

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

[NHK-2] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

[gdhn-3] Trần (2004).

[hvttd-4] Nguyễn (1974).

[tchvtd-5] Thiều Chửu (1942).