蒜

蒜 U+849C, 蒜 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-849C ← 蒛 [U+849B] CJK Unified Ideographs 蒝 → [U+849D]

Translingual

Han character

蒜 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+10, 13 strokes, cangjie input 廿一火火 (TMFF), four-corner 4499₁, composition ⿱艹祘)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1048, character 22
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31562
• Dae Jaweon: page 1510, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3259, character 13
• Unihan data for U+849C

Chinese

trad.		蒜
simp. #		蒜
2nd round simp.		祘

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (祘) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
蒜	*sloːns
祘	*sloːns

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sloːns) : semantic 艸 + phonetic 祘 (OC *sloːns).

Etymology

Matisoff considers this to be derived from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *swa-n (“garlic”), but more likely this may be a plant imported from the Western Regions in the Qin–Han era. The relatively late attestation and the earlier form of 卵蒜 (luǎnsuàn) attest to the latter theory.

Compare Sanskrit लशुन (laśuna), Pali lasuṇa, lasuna. The Old Chinese reconstruction was revised to a *-or rhyme in the Baxter–Sagart system, akin to its homophone 算 (“to calculate”). Hence compare Persian سیر (sir, “garlic”), Khotanese sārmā- (“the plant Basella cordifolia or B. lucida or B. rubra”), Hungarian sárma (“Ornithogalum sp.”), as well as Turkish sarımsak, Mongolian саримс (sarims).

Either way this word is cognate with the second syllable of Burmese ကြက်သွန် (krakswan, “onion”), ကြက်သွန်ဖြူ (krakswanhpru, “garlic”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): suàn (suan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄨㄢˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): suan⁴

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): suān

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): suān

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): суан (suan, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): syun³

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): soen³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhon⁴

• Gan (Wiktionary): son⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): son

  (Meixian, Guangdong): son⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): suan³
• Northern Min (KCR): so̤̿ng
• Eastern Min (BUC): sáung
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): soàn / sǹg

  (Teochew, Peng'im): seng³

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): sung³

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): slun³
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵soe
• Xiang

  (Changsha, Wiktionary): sonn⁴

  (Loudi, Wiktionary): suenn⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: suàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄨㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: suàn
    • Wade–Giles: suan⁴
    • Yale: swàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: suann
    • Palladius: суань (suanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /su̯än⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: suan⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: suan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /suan²¹³/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: suān
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /suã⁵⁵/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: suān
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): suan⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /suã⁴⁴/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: суан (suan, III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /suæ̃⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: syun³
    • Yale: syun
    • Cantonese Pinyin: syn³
    • Guangdong Romanization: xun³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /syːn³³/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: soen³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /søn³²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lhon⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬᵘɔn²¹/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: son⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɵn³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: son
    • Hakka Romanization System: son
    • Hagfa Pinyim: son⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /son⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: son⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /sɔn⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: suan³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /suæ̃⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: so̤̿ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɔŋ³³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: sáung
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɑuŋ²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: soàn
    • Tâi-lô: suàn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: soaxn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /suan²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /suan¹¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /suan⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sǹg
    • Tâi-lô: sǹg
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sngx
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /sŋ̍⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /sŋ̍²¹/

Note:

• soàn - literary;
• sǹg - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: seng³
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sṳ̀ng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɯŋ²¹³/
• (Leizhou)
  • Leizhou Pinyin: sung³
  • Sinological IPA: /suŋ²¹/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: slun³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬun⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵soe
    • MiniDict: soe^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²soe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sø³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: sonn⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sõ⁴⁵/
  • (Loudi)
    • Wiktionary: suenn⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /su̯ẽ̞³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: swanH

Rime
Character	蒜
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	桓 (62)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	蘇貫切
Baxter	swanH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/suɑnH/
Pan Wuyun	/sʷɑnH/
Shao Rongfen	/suɑnH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/swanH/
Li Rong	/suɑnH/
Wang Li	/suɑnH/
Bernard Karlgren	/suɑnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	suàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	syun3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[s]ˤor-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sloːns/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	蒜
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	suàn
Middle Chinese	‹ swanH ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]ˁor-s/
English	garlic
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	蒜
Reading #	1/1
No.	12133
Phonetic component	祘
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	筭
Old Chinese	/*sloːns/

Definitions

蒜

1. garlic

Synonyms

• (Hokkien) 蒜仔

Compounds

• 凍蒜／冻蒜 (dòngsuàn)
• 卵蒜 (luǎnsuàn)
• 大蒜 (dàsuàn)
• 大蒜效應／大蒜效应
• 小蒜
• 拌蒜 (bànsuàn)
• 拌蒜加蔥／拌蒜加葱
• 搗蒜／捣蒜 (dǎosuàn)
• 擣蒜／捣蒜
• 朱蒜
• 牙蒜
• 猴蒜
• 番蒜
• 石蒜 (shísuàn)
• 砂鍋搗蒜／砂锅捣蒜
• 砂鍋砸蒜／砂锅砸蒜
• 砸薑磨蒜／砸姜磨蒜
• 耐儲大蒜／耐储大蒜
• 胡蒜
• 臘八蒜／腊八蒜
• 蒜丁
• 蒜仔
• 蒜台
• 蒜子
• 蒜押
• 蒜果
• 蒜條／蒜条
• 蒜條金／蒜条金
• 蒜毫 (suànháo)
• 蒜氣／蒜气
• 蒜泥 (suànní)
• 蒜球精
• 蒜瓣 (suànbàn)
• 蒜瓣兒／蒜瓣儿
• 蒜瓣骨朵
• 蒜絨／蒜绒
• 蒜絨枝／蒜绒枝
• 蒜缽子／蒜钵子
• 蒜腦藷／蒜脑薯
• 蒜苔 (suàntái)
• 蒜苗 (suànmiáo)
• 蒜茸 (suànróng)
• 蒜蓉 (suànróng)
• 蒜蔥／蒜葱
• 蒜薹 (suàntái)
• 蒜辮子／蒜辫子
• 蒜酪
• 蒜醬／蒜酱
• 蒜頭／蒜头 (suàntóu)
• 蒜顆／蒜颗
• 蒜髮／蒜发
• 蒜黃／蒜黄 (suànhuáng)
• 血蒜羹
• 裝蒜／装蒜 (zhuāngsuàn)
• 裝蔥賣蒜／装葱卖蒜
• 豆蒜
• 銀蒜／银蒜
• 雅蒜
• 雞毛蒜皮／鸡毛蒜皮 (jīmáosuànpí)
• 青蒜 (qīngsuàn)

 

Descendants

• → Lisu: ꓢꓪꓮꓠꓸ (swɑ́n)

References

• “蒜”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

蒜

(Hyōgai kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: さん (san)
• Kan-on: さん (san)
• Kun: にんにく (ninniku)、ひる (hiru)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
蒜
にんにく Hyōgai
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
大蒜 葫 忍辱

Origin uncertain. There are two leading theories.

• Deriving ultimately from some compound and shift of 匂い (nioi, “smell, scent”) + 憎い (nikui, “hateful; bitter”). Possible progression:

⟨nipopi₁⟩ + ⟨niku⟩ → */nipopi niku/ → */nipniku/ → /ninniku/

• Deriving as a shift in meaning from Buddhist term 忍辱 (ninniku, “patience, forbearance, forgiveness”). Apparently garlic was seen as stimulating, and as such it was a forbidden food and monks would have to forbear from eating it, possibly giving rise to use of the term as a euphemism.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) にんにく [nìńníkú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɲ̟ĩɲ̟ːikɯ̟]

Noun

蒜(にんにく) or 蒜(ニンニク) • (ninniku) 

1. [date uncertain] garlic

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ニンニク.

Derived terms

• 行者葫(ぎょうじゃにんにく) (gyōjaninniku)
• 浜蒜(はまにんにく) (hamaninniku)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
蒜
ひる Hyōgai
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
葫

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *peru (“garlic”). First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ひる [híꜜrù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [çiɾɯ̟]

Noun

蒜(ひる) • (hiru) 

1. [from 712] allium

Derived terms

• 大蒜(おおびる) (ōbiru, “garlic”)
• 根蒜(ねびる) (nebiru), 沢蒜(ねびる) (nebiru)
• 野蒜(のびる) (nobiru)
• 蒜山(ひるぜん) (Hiruzen, “Hiruzen”)

Kikai

Kanji

蒜

(Hyōgai kanji)

Readings

• Kun: ふぃる (firu, 蒜)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
蒜
Hyōgai

Alternative spelling
葫

Cognate with Japanese 蒜(ひる) (hiru).

Noun

蒜(ふぃる) (firu) 

1. garlic

References

• “ふぃる【蒜・葫】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

Korean

Hanja

蒜 • (san) (hangeul 산, revised san, McCune–Reischauer san, Yale san)

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

Okinawan

Kanji

蒜

(Hyōgai kanji)

Readings

• Kun: ふぃる (firu, 蒜)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
蒜
Hyōgai

Alternative spelling
葫

Attested in the 沖縄語典 (Okinawa Goten, “Okinawan Dictionary”) as ひる.

Pronunciation

• (Shuri) IPA^(key): [ɸíɾù]

Noun

蒜(ふぃる) (firu) 

1. garlic

   んかしぇー　ふぃるぬ　かー　んーち　さきぢきっし　ふぃるじゃき　ちゅくたん。どぅー　あんまさる　ばすねー、ふぃるじゃき　ぬだいっし　うぬ　みーん　かなーち　かみーねー　たでーま　はしっとぅ　なたん　どー。

   Nkashē firunu kā nnchi sakijikisshi firujaki chukutan. Dū anmasaru basunē, firujaki nudaisshi unu mīn kanāchi kamīnē tadēma hashittu natan dō.

   In the past, we made garlic sake by peeling off the skin of the garlic. When we don't feel happy, we'd drink the garlic sake and ate the contents [lit. fruit] of it, and we would feel good right away.

References

• Kokuritsu Kokugo Kenkyūjo (国立国語研究所) (1963) 沖縄語辞典 (Okinawa-go Jiten) [Dictionary of the Okinawan Language] (in Japanese), Tokyo (東京): Okurashō Insatsu Kyoku (財務省印刷局), page 240
• Miyara, Shinshō (宮良信詳) (2021) うちなーぐち活用辞典 [Dictionary of the Practical Use of Okinawan] (in Japanese), Tokyo (東京都): Kokuritsu Kokugo Kenkyūjo, Gengo Hen'i Kenkyū Ryōiki (国立国語研究所 言語変異研究領域), →DOI, →ISBN, page 291

Yoron

Kanji

蒜

(Hyōgai kanji)

Readings

• Kun: ぴる (piru, 蒜)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
蒜
Hyōgai

Alternative spelling
葫

Cognate with Japanese 蒜(ひる) (hiru).

Noun

蒜(ぴる) (piru) 

1. garlic

References

• “ぴる【蒜・葫】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.