姉

Stroke order

Han character edit

姉 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 女十月 (VJB) or 女卜中月 (VYLB), composition ⿰女巿 (GH) or ⿰女市 (TJKV))

References edit

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 258, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6165
• Dae Jaweon: page 523, character 21
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1029, character 16
• Unihan data for U+59C9

Glyph origin edit

Historical forms of the character 姉
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Definitions edit

Kanji edit

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. older sister

Readings edit

• Go-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kun: あね (ane, 姉, Jōyō); え (e); ねえ (nē)

Etymology edit

From Old Japanese of unclear derivation:

• Probably originally a compound of 吾 (a, Eastern Old Japanese first-person pronoun) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 兄 (ye → e, “eldest sibling”):^[1]

  ⟨a no₂ ye⟩ → */anʉʲɨe/ → /ane/

This word is an apophonic form of 兄 (ani, “elder brother”).^[2]

• Several other theories have also been suggested.^[1]

Pronunciation edit

• (Tokyo) あね [àné] (Heiban – [0])^[3]
• IPA^(key): [a̠ne̞]

Coordinate terms edit

• 兄(あに) (ani, “elder brother”)
• 弟(おとうと) (otōto, “younger brother”)
• 妹(いもうと) (imōto, “younger sister”)

Noun edit

姉(あね) • (ane) 

1. elder sister

Usage notes edit

• This term conveys neither positive nor negative connotations and is often used in objective narrations. However, using it to describe someone the speaker knows personally is often considered lacking respect, where more polite forms like お姉(ねえ)さん (onēsan) are preferred.

Synonyms edit

• お姉(ねえ)さん (onēsan)
• お姉(ねえ)ちゃん (onēchan)

Coordinate terms edit

• 兄(あに) (ani, “elder brother”)
• 弟(おとうと) (otōto, “younger brother”)
• 妹(いもうと) (imōto, “younger sister”)

References edit

Hanja edit

姉 (eumhun 손윗누이 자 (sonwinnu'i ja))

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

Compounds edit

References edit

• Naver Hanja Dictionary: 姉

Kanji edit

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings edit

• Kun: あんが (anga, 姉)

Noun edit

姉(あんが) (anga) 

1. older sister

Nom glyph origin edit

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) : semantic 女 (nữ, “woman”) + phonetic 市 (thị)

Han character edit

姉: Hán Việt readings: tỷ^[1][2][3]
姉: Nôm readings: chị^[1][4]

Noun edit

1. Nôm form of chị (“elder sister, corresponding pronoun”).
   • 1820, Nguyễn Du, Truyện Kiều (傳翹), published 1870, line 16:

     翠(Thuý)翹(Kiều)羅(là)姉(chị)㛪(em)羅(là)翠(Thuý)雲(Vân)

     Kiều Thuý was the elder sister; Vân Thuý, the younger.

   • 18th–19th century, Hồ Xuân Hương (胡春香), “Đề tranh tố nữ (題幀素女)”, in John Balaban, transl., Spring Essence: The Poetry of Hồ Xuân Hương, Copper Canyon Press (book), also hosted by Nôm Foundation (online), published 2000, pages 50-51:

     姉(Chị)拱(cũng)𦎡(xinh)𦓡(mà)㛪(em)拱(cũng)𦎡(xinh)

     Big and little sister, equally lovely.

References edit