Zi:言
言 [yán] direct speech; 语言 language/speech; 发言 speak/state; 谗言 slander; 誓言 oath; 谣言 rumor; (radical 149, 言部); (HDZ:) … [yàn] 诉讼 (cf. 讞); 唁 [yín] “言言”, 和敬貌
One monosyllabic entry in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):
►³yán 言 {D} b.f. ①speech; word; talk; language ►yǔyán 语言 ②character; syllable (in poetry) ►qīyánshī 七言诗 ③morpheme ►²yánwèi 言位 ④say; talk; speak ►huànyánzhī 换言之 ◆cons. ³zhǐ A (ér) ∼ (this) refers to A See also ér yán
The Shuōwén Seal form of 言() yán ‘direct speech’ combines 口(𠙵) kǒu ‘mouth/speech’, and 䇂(𨐋) qiān ‘offend (a superior)’ (phonosemantic).
Compare: 告(𠰛吿) gào ‘tell/report (news/warning, to a superior)’; 诰/誥(𧧙) gào ‘tell/command (a subordinate to do sth. directly)’.
Compare: 舌() shé ‘tongue’, in which the top part is 干() gān ‘offend’.
Compare: 讦/訐() jié ‘openly denounce/report/expose crimes/misdeeds’, in which 干() occurs twice.
Compare: 语/語() yǔ ‘discuss/debate’; 言语 yányǔ ‘spoken language’ (direct/frank speech, and discussion/opinion).
Compare: 音() yīn ‘sound’, in which 言() with an extra line inside the mouth (representing the sound), cf. 音.
Note: Some interesting variant forms of 言 occur in compound Shuōwén variant forms (see below).
Compare: 𧦥(), 𧨼(), 訫(), 𧧙(), 䛦(), 𧧿() [The form adds a loop to 心().]
Compare: 𧥻(), 𧥡(), 𧮩(), 誚(), 𧨭(), 悥() [The ‘mouth’ component is triangular.]
Older graphs (OBI) associated with 言 are said (by one theory) to depict a mouth blowing 䇾 yán ‘panpipes (with 23 tubes)’, or else (and contrary to that theory) depict a mouth with protruding 舌() ‘tongue’ (HDZ).
“[言] Picture of a flute with a mouth blowing into it” —Lindqvist.
Note: As an independent character 言 is not simplified; but as a component, 言 becomes 讠 in simple-form characters when it occurs in the left (and lower-left), and middle positions in compounds (but not on the bottom).
Compounds: 计认让训讲许语; 罚蔼霭𫉄; 狱辩雠储槠浒𣶫𫞛; 誓警譶.
言 is the 149th of the 214 Kāngxī radicals.
Compare: 音() yīn, 𠶷() yì, 啻() chì.
HDZ: 言 : yán : (甲) 像以口吹箫 (郭沫若); (甲) 像舌从口中伸出形; 说话, 说, 讲; 议论, 谈论; 记载; 问; 告知, 告诉; 陈述, 叙述; (解释引文) 就是说, 意思是; 意料, 料想; 话, 言语, 口语; 言论, 见解, 意见; 言辞, 辞令, 辞章; 政令, 号令; 誓言, 盟辞, 约言; 建议, 主意, 计策; 学说, 主张; 语言或文章中的字; 口语或文章中的句子; 著作; 臣对君的呈文; (尔雅) (乐器) 䇾: 大箫 (编管吹奏乐器名, 其形参差象凤翼) (陸德明: 言, 本或作䇾); 我; (连词) 乃, 便, 就; (助词); 訊 (xùn): 俘虏 (䷆: 田有禽, 利執言/訊; 執訊: 对所获敌人加以讯问); 愆 (qiān): 过失 (䷅, ䷣), (SW:) 𨐋/䇂 (讀若 “愆”); (古地名); (姓) • yàn : 诉讼 (cf. 讞); 唁: 慰问 • yín : “言言”, 和敬貌
►references: Guǎngyùn:115.31; Wieger:73c; Karlgren:AD234,GSR251a; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:6.3936.1; Lindqvist:310; Mathews:7334; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:1146.01; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:056.1.01; Wáng(1993):14; EDOC:1
►components: 口䇂𨐋亠
►Cantonese: yihn\
Shuōwén: (⾔)
<cdl char='言' uni='8A00' points='0,0 128,124'>
<comp char='' uni='E876' points='0,0 128,70' />
<comp char='口' uni='53E3' points='22,92 106,128' />
</cdl>
<cdl char='' uni='E876' points='0,0 128,124' radical='K0'>
<comp char='亠' uni='4EA0' points='0,0 128,51' />
<comp char='二' uni='4E8C' variant='3' points='24,91 104,128' />
</cdl>
<cdl char='亠' uni='4EA0' points='0,16 128,48'>
<stroke type='d' points='54,0 68,92' />
<stroke type='h' points='0,128 128,128' />
</cdl>
<cdl char='二' uni='4E8C' variant='3' points='0,18 128,112'>
<stroke type='h' points='0,0 128,0' />
<stroke type='h' points='0,128 128,128' />
<!-- variant based on [U+20120](V=0) -->
</cdl>
<cdl char='口' uni='53E3' points='24,24 104,104'>
<comp char='冂' uni='5182' variant='5' points='0,0 128,128' />
<stroke type='h' points='0,128 128,128' head='cut' tail='cut' />
<!-- 2010-03-11T17:40:58Z -->
</cdl>
<cdl char='冂' uni='5182' variant='5' points='4,4 124,128'>
<stroke type='s' points='0,0 0,128' tail='long' />
<stroke type='hz' points='0,0 128,0 128,128' head='cut' tail='long' />
<!-- variant based on [U+EF7E](V=0) -->
</cdl>
►stroke 言 (... strokes)
►list characters containing 言 as a component
►list words containing 言 (most common words first)
Unicode: U+8A00
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