月

月 (Kangxi radical 74, 月+0, 4 strokes, cangjie input 月 (B), four-corner 7722₀, composition ⿵⺆𠄠)

1. Kangxi radical #74, ⽉.

Do not confuse 月 with ⺼, a form of 肉 (“flesh, meat”) when used as the left-hand radical of a character. ⺼ is used for parts of the body such as 背 (“back”) or 肝 (“liver”). These may be written identically as 月, but in careful use they are distinguished, with the inside of ⺼ being written with unattached diagonal strokes. This is particularly an issue in looking up characters by radical; compare the 月 index and 肉 index.

Older/orthodox forms such as the Kangxi dictionary forms may additionally distinguish components that are related to neither 月 nor 肉, such as e.g. 朋, 前 or 服 where the two horizontal strokes 一 would be written as two unattached dots 丶 instead. Also, the bottom part of 青(靑) components would be written as 円. The orthodox 月 and ⺼ components, while similar, would still be distinguished slightly: they both use horizontal strokes, but ⺼ connects them to the ⺆ shape on both sides, and 月 only connects them on the left side.

• Appendix:Chinese radical/月
• 仴, 𫥂, 𠯲, 𪢻, 𫰒, 岄, 抈, 㳉, 阴, 明, 枂, 㱚, 玥, 迌, 𤰾, 眀, 䄴, 䎳, 䑚, 蚏, 䚴, 𧲩, 𧵂, 跀, 𨊸(䢁), 鈅(钥), 䩗, 𩢋, 𩵺(𬶈), 刖, 閒(𫔮)

• KangXi: page 504, character 19
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14330
• Dae Jaweon: page 879, character 20
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2041, character 1
• Unihan data for U+6708

• 月 on Wikidata.Wikidata

Historical forms of the character 月
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Pictogram (象形) – pictographic representation of a crescent moon. Compare 夕.

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ŋʷ(j)a-t (“moon; star”), whence also Magar [Term?] (gya hot, “moon”), Proto-Lolo-Burmese *mwatᴸ (“star; moon”) (whence Lahu məʔ-kə (“star”)), Drung gurmet (“star”) (Matisoff, 1980; LaPolla, 1987; STEDT).

Various alternative etymologies have also been proposed:

• Unger (1992) proposes cognation with Tibetan ངོ (ngo, “waxing and waning moon; half moon”) (as in མར་ངོ (mar ngo, “waning moon”) and ཡར་ངོ (yar ngo, “waxing moon”)), which Schuessler (2007) connects to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ŋow (“white; light colour”). However, Sagart (1999) points out that the Tibetan word may be analyzed as a derivative of Tibetan ངོ (ngo, “face”), which would mean the semantic connection between “moon” and “face” had to occur either independently in Chinese and Tibetan or in Proto-Sino-Tibetan; it also requires positing a suffix -t in Chinese.
• Pulleybank (1995a) proposes another etymology based on the glyph for 名 (reconstructed as *màŋʲ), which he analyses as a phono-semantic compound of phonetic 夕 (“moon”) and semantic 口 (“mouth”). He suggests that the phonetic component represents a lost word *màŋʲ (“moon”), and reconstructs 月 as *mŋʲ (consonantal frame of “moon”) + *-at (suffix) > *ŋʲʷat. However, there are more straightforward ways of explaining the glyph origin of 名 (see there), which would nullify the hypothesis of the lost word.
• Related to 越 (“to pass over; to cross over”) in some way.
  • Mei (1979) derives 月 from 越 (OC **gjot > *gwjat): **N-gjot > *ngwjat. Also in this proposed word family is 歲 (OC **s-gjots > *skwjadh, “year”). The semantics of this word family is centred around "to pass; to elapse". While Matisoff (1980) seems supportive of this word family, STEDT reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *grwat (“to travel; to go through”) for 越 and 歲, separate from the root for 月.
  • Ferlus (2012) reconstructs the Old Chinese as *ŋ.wat and puts it in a word family formed from a Chinese root *wat, having a meaning of "circularity" or "circular boundary". This proposed word family includes 越 (OC *wat, “to cross over”), as in "to cross the enclosure of the village", and 外 (OC *ŋ.wat-s, “outside”), as in "out of the enclosure of the village".

月

1. (literary or dialectal) moon (Classifier: 輪／轮 m)
2. moon-shaped objects
3. (literary) moonlight
4. month (Classifier: 個／个 m c; 隻／只 h)

   Synonyms: 月份 (yuèfèn), 號頭／号头 (Wu)

5. monthly

   月薪  ―  yuèxīn  ―  monthly wage

6. Classifier for months.
7. a surname

For quotations using this term, see Citations:月.

• See 月/derived terms § Chinese.

• See 月/derived terms § Chinese.

• See 月/derived terms § Chinese.

• “月”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學／香港中文大学 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A01841
• “Entry #812”, 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.

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

• Go-on: がち (gachi)^{←ぐわち (gwati, historical)}; ごち (gochi)
• Kan-on: げつ (getsu, Jōyō)^{←げつ (getu, historical)←ぐゑつ (gwetu, ancient)}
• Kan’yō-on: がつ (gatsu, Jōyō)^{←ぐわつ (gwatu, historical)}
• Kun: つき (tsuki, 月, Jōyō)
• Nanori: おと (oto); す (su); もり (mori); がっ (ga'); ずき (zuki)

• See 月/derived terms § Japanese.

⟨tuki₂⟩ → */tukɨ/ → */t͡sukɨ/ → /t͡suki/

From Old Japanese 月 (tuki₂), ultimately from Proto-Japonic *tukuy.[1]

Likely a shift from Old Japanese 月 (tuku), derived through a fusion with ancient Japanese emphatic nominal particle い (i). Compare the development of 神 (kami, “Shinto deity”) from older combining form kamu.

• (Tokyo) つき​ [tsùkíꜜ] (Odaka – [2])[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [t͡sɨ̥ᵝkʲi]

月(つき) • (tsuki) 

1. the moon

   Synonyms: 太陰 (taiin), ムーン (mūn)

2. (astronomy) a natural satellite
3. moonlight, moonbeam

   Synonyms: 月光 (gekkō), 月影 (tsukikage)

4. a 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with various designs of the moon
5. (tarot) the Moon, the eighteenth trump or major arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks
6. a month
7. Short for 月囲い (tsukigakoi): a mistress on a monthly allowance
8. (archaic) a menstrual cycle, menstruation (believed to be caused by the moon)

   Synonyms: 月経 (gekkei), 月の物 (tsuki no mono)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:月.

• See 月/derived terms § Japanese pronunciation 1.

• 月よ星よ (tsuki yo hoshi yo)
• 月と鼈 (tsuki to suppon)

月(つき) • (Tsuki) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

/ɡʷatɨ/ → /ɡʷat͡su/ → /ɡat͡su/

From Middle Chinese 月 (ŋʉɐt̚). The 慣用音 (kan'yōon) reading, a pronunciation in common usage based on a corruption of the Middle Chinese borrowing.

• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠t͡sɨᵝ]

• Some dictionaries apparently classify this reading as both 呉音 (goon) and 慣用音 (kan'yōon).

月(がつ) • (-gatsu) ^{←ぐわつ (gwatu)?}

1. month of the year

• 正月 (shōgatsu)

月(がつ) • (-gatsu) ^{←ぐわつ (gwatu)?}

1. moon
2. month

When used in most compounds or when counting a number of months with ヶ (ka), 月 is pronounced げつ (getsu). When used in compounds for modern months of the year, it is pronounced がつ (gatsu). When used for poetic or lunar months, it is pronounced つき (tsuki).

• See 月/derived terms § Japanese pronunciation 2.

/ɡʷetu/ → /ɡet͡su/

From Middle Chinese 月 (ŋʉɐt̚).

The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing. Compare modern Hakka 月 (ngie̍t), Min Nan 月 (ge̍h).

• (Tokyo) げ​つ [géꜜtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɡe̞t͡sɨᵝ]

月(げつ) • (-getsu) ^{←ぐゑつ (gwetu)?}

1. a month as a duration of time
2. (possibly obsolete) month of the year

When used in most compounds or when counting a number of months with ヶ (ka), 月 is pronounced げつ (getsu). When used in compounds for modern months of the year, it is pronounced がつ (gatsu). When used for poetic or lunar months, it is pronounced つき (tsuki).

• ヶ月 (-kagetsu)

月(げつ) • (getsu) 

1. Short for 月曜日 (getsuyōbi): Monday

月(げつ) • (getsu) 

1. moon
2. month
3. menstruation, menstrual cycle

• See 月/derived terms § Japanese pronunciation 3.

/ɡʷat͡ɕi/ → /ɡat͡ɕi/

First attested in the Edo period.

Appears to be a poetic use of the 呉音 (goon) reading, in reference to a rank of 端女郎 (hashi jorō, “low-end prostitute”) in the Kansai region. According to a popular song, a 月 (gachi, “moon”) prostitute cost one 匁 (monme, old unit of currency, worth roughly 3.75 grams of silver), a 影 (kage, “shadow”) prostitute cost two monme, and a 汐 (shio, “tide; loveliness”) prostitute cost three monme.[2][4]

• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠t͡ɕi]

月(がち) • (gachi) ^{←ぐわち (gwati)?}

1. (Kansai, historical) during the Edo period, a low rank of low-end prostitute

• 月の女郎 (gachi no jorō)

Either a shift in sense from the low-ranking prostitute meaning above, or a shift in pronunciation from 頑痴 (ganchi, “stubborn and stupid”).[2][4]

• 瓦智 (ateji)

• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠t͡ɕi]

月(がち) • (gachi) ^{←ぐわち (gwati)? †}-nari

1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) crude, unrefined, hickish

   Synonym: 野暮 (yabo)

月(がち) • (gachi) ^{←ぐわち (gwati)?}

1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) something or someone that/who is crude, unrefined, hickish

   Synonym: 野暮 (yabo)

From Middle Chinese 月 (MC ŋʉɐt̚).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [wʌ̹ɭ]
• Phonetic hangul: [월]

Wikisource 月 (eumhun 달 월 (dal wol))

1. Hanja form^? of 월 (“month”). [noun]
2. Hanja form^? of 월 (“moon”). [affix]
3. Hanja form^? of 월 (“Short for 월요일(月曜日) (woryoil, “Monday”).”).

• See 月/derived terms § Korean.

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

月

• Kun: しちー (shichī)

From Proto-Ryukyuan *tuki.

• IPA^(key): /ɕi̻t͡ɕiː/

月 (hiragana しちー, romaji shichī)

1. the moon

月

• Kun: つぃきぃ (tsïksï)

From Proto-Ryukyuan *tuki.

• (Hirara) IPA^(key): /t͡sɨ̥.kˢɨ/
• (Ōgami) IPA^(key): /ks̩.ks̩/

月 (hiragana つぃきぃ, romaji tsïksï)

1. the moon
2. a month
3. (abbreviation) Monday

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

• On: ぐゎち (gwachi)^{←ぐゎつぃ (gwatsi, historical)}
• Kun: ちち (chichi)^{←つぃち (tsichi, historical)}

• See 月/derived terms § Okinawan.

• (topicalized) 月ぇ (chichē)

From Proto-Ryukyuan *tuki, from Proto-Japonic *tukuy.

Cognate with Japanese 月 (tsuki).

• (Shuri-Naha) ちち [chíchì] (Heiban - [0]))
• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕi̻t͡ɕi]

月 (hiragana ちち, rōmaji chichi, historical hiragana つぃち)

1. the moon
2. a month

• See 月/derived terms § Okinawan.

• IPA^(key): [ɡʷat͡ɕi]

月 (hiragana ぐゎち, rōmaji gwachi)

1. month of the year

月 (hiragana ぐゎち, rōmaji -gwachi)

1. month of the year

• “ぐゎち・ぐぁち【月】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “ちち【月】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

From Proto-Japonic *tukuy.

Likely a shift from tuku below, derived through a fusion with い (i₂, emphatic nominal particle). Compare the development of 神 (kamu → kami₂, “Shinto deity”).

月 (tuki₂) (kana つき)

1. the moon
2. a month
3. a menstrual cycle, menstruation (believed to be caused by the moon)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:月.

Possibly from Proto-Japonic *tuku.

月 (tuku) (kana つく)

1. (regional, Eastern Old Japanese) the moon
2. (regional, Eastern Old Japanese) a month
3. Combining form of ツキ^乙 (tuki₂) above

For quotations using this term, see Citations:月.

月: Hán Việt readings: nguyệt (魚(ngư)厥(quyết)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5], ngoạt[3][4][5], nhục (而(nhi)六(lục)切(thiết))[2][4]
月: Nôm readings: nguyệt[1][2][4][6], ngoạt[4][6], nhục[2][4]

1. chữ Hán form of nguyệt, ngoạt (“moon; month”).
2. chữ Hán form of nhục (“Alternative form of 肉 (“meat radical”)”).

• See 月/derived terms § Vietnamese.

月

• Kun: つぃきぃ (tsïkï)

From Proto-Ryukyuan *tuki.

• IPA^(key): /t͡sɨ̥kɨ/

月 (hiragana つぃきぃ, romaji tsïkï)

1. the moon

月

• Kun: ってぃー (ttī)

From Proto-Ryukyuan *tuki.

• IPA^(key): /tˀiː/

月 (hiragana ってぃー, romaji ttī)

1. the moon