什麼
Chinese
| tenth (used in fractions) | dimi. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (什麼/甚麼/什麽/甚麽) | 什/甚 | 麼/麽 | |
| simp. (什么) | 什 | 么 | |
| alternative forms | |||
Etymology
Corruption of medieval 是物 (MC d͡ʑiᴇX mɨut̚, “why”) (Yuan et al., 1996: 318–324) or 什物 (MC d͡ʑiɪp̚ mɨut̚, “miscellaneous items”) (Norman, 1988; Zhang, 1982).
Pronunciation
Pronoun
什麼
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of 什麼 (“what”) [map]
Derived terms
Japanese
Etymology 1
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 什 | 麼 |
| いん Hyōgaiji |
も Hyōgaiji |
| irregular | |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 恁麼 |
From spoken Middle Chinese 恁麼 (nyimX muɑ, “what?”, archaic, literally “think + something tiny and insignificant”).[1] The spelling shifted to include the Chinese synonym 什麼 (modern Mandarin reading of shénme), while keeping the inmo reading for 恁麼, instead of the expected shūma reading for 什麼.
Imported into Japanese by Zen monks who had studied in China.[1] Generally restricted to use by Zen practitioners.[2]
Pronunciation
- (Irregular reading)
- IPA(key): [ĩmːo̞]
Pronoun
什麼 • (inmo)
- (rare) what
- 天地と我と什麼の交渉かある。
- Tenchi to ware to inmo no kōshō ka aru.
- What is the relation between the universe and me?
- 天地と我と什麼の交渉かある。
Usage notes
Generally followed by the possessive particle の (no) and used as an adnominal, with a meaning of what kind of.
Definitions
| For pronunciation and definitions of 什麼 – see the following entry. | ||
| ||
| (This term, 什麼, is an alternative (literary, obsolete) spelling of the above term.) |
References
- 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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