元

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元 U+5143, 元
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5143
← 兂
[U+5142]		 CJK Unified Ideographs 兄 →
[U+5144]
See also: 示 and 亓

Translingual[edit]

Stroke order
0 strokes

Han character[edit]

元 (radical 10 儿+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 一一山 (MMU), four-corner 10211, composition ⿱二儿)

Derived characters[edit]

References[edit]

  • KangXi: page 123, character 6
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1340
  • Dae Jaweon: page 258, character 3
  • Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 264, character 6
  • Unihan data for U+5143

Chinese[edit]

simp. and trad.
 元

Glyph origin[edit]

Historical forms of the character 元
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Large seal script Small seal script
元-oracle.svg 元-bronze.svg 元-bigseal.svg 元-seal.svg
Oracle bone script
ACC-j00003.svg

j00003
ACC-j00004.svg

j00004
ACC-j00005.svg

j00005
ACC-j00006.svg

j00006
ACC-j00007.svg

j00007
ACC-j00008.svg

j00008
ACC-j00009.svg

j00009
ACC-j00010.svg

j00010
ACC-j00011.svg

j00011
ACC-j00012.svg

j00012
ACC-j00013.svg

j00013
ACC-j00014.svg

j00014
Bronze inscriptions
ACC-b00016.svg

b00016
ACC-b00017.svg

b00017
ACC-b00018.svg

b00018
ACC-b00019.svg

b00019
ACC-b00020.svg

b00020
ACC-b00021.svg

b00021
ACC-b00022.svg

b00022
ACC-b00023.svg

b00023
ACC-b00024.svg

b00024
ACC-b00025.svg

b00025
ACC-b00026.svg

b00026
ACC-b00027.svg

b00027
ACC-b00028.svg

b00028
ACC-b00029.svg

b00029
ACC-b00030.svg

b00030
ACC-b00031.svg

b00031
ACC-b00032.svg

b00032
ACC-b00033.svg

b00033
ACC-b00034.svg

b00034
ACC-b00035.svg

b00035
ACC-b00036.svg

b00036
ACC-b00037.svg

b00037
ACC-b00038.svg

b00038
ACC-b00039.svg

b00039
ACC-b00040.svg

b00040
ACC-b00041.svg

b00041
ACC-b00042.svg

b00042
ACC-b00043.svg

b00043
ACC-b00044.svg

b00044
ACC-b00045.svg

b00045
ACC-b00046.svg

b00046
ACC-b00047.svg

b00047
ACC-b00048.svg

b00048
ACC-b00049.svg

b00049
ACC-b00050.svg

b00050
ACC-b00051.svg

b00051
ACC-b00052.svg

b00052
ACC-b00053.svg

b00053
Large seal script
ACC-L32110.svg

L32110
ACC-L32111.svg

L32111
ACC-L32112.svg

L32112
ACC-L32113.svg

L32113
ACC-L32114.svg

L32114
ACC-L07440.svg

L07440
ACC-L07442.svg

L07442
ACC-L07443.svg

L07443
ACC-L07444.svg

L07444
ACC-L07445.svg

L07445
ACC-L07446.svg

L07446
ACC-L07447.svg

L07447
ACC-L07448.svg

L07448
ACC-L07449.svg

L07449
ACC-L07450.svg

L07450
ACC-L07451.svg

L07451
ACC-L07452.svg

L07452
ACC-L07453.svg

L07453
ACC-L07454.svg

L07454
Small seal script
ACC-s00003.svg

s00003
References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

  • Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
  • Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
  • Liushutong (large seal) and
  • Xu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (元) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
冠 *kŋoːn, *kŋoːns
莞 *kŋoːn, *ɦŋoːn, *ɦŋroːnʔ
脘 *ŋkoːnʔ
筦 *ŋkoːnʔ
梡 *ŋ̥ʰoːnʔ, *ɦŋoːn, *ɦŋoːnʔ
岏 *ŋoːn
刓 *ŋoːn
园 *ŋoːn
忨 *ŋoːn, *ŋoːns
蚖 *ŋoːn, *ŋon
黿 *ŋoːn, *ŋon
抏 *ŋoːn
玩 *ŋoːns
貦 *ŋoːns
翫 *ŋoːns
妧 *ŋoːns
完 *ɦŋoːn
捖 *ɦŋoːn
垸 *ɦŋoːn, *ɦŋoːns
綄 *ɦŋoːn, *ɦŋoːnʔ
院 *ɦŋoːn, *ɦŋons
皖 *ɦŋoːnʔ, *ɦŋroːnʔ
晥 *ɦŋoːnʔ
浣 *ɦŋoːnʔ
頑 *ŋroːn, *ŋroːn
睆 *ɦŋroːnʔ
鯇 *ɦŋroːnʔ
元 *ŋon
沅 *ŋon
芫 *ŋon
杬 *ŋon
邧 *ŋon, *ŋonʔ
阮 *ŋon, *ŋonʔ
俒 *ɦŋuːn, *ɦŋuːns

Pictogram (象形) – a figure with two lines 二 for a head (one connected to body, one above it), emphasizing the head.

Etymology 1[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Note: ngang5 - used in 開元.
  • Dialectal data▼
Variety Location 元
Mandarin Beijing /yan³⁵/
Harbin /yan²⁴/
Tianjin /yan⁴⁵/
Jinan /yã⁴²/
Qingdao /yã⁴²/
Zhengzhou /yan⁴²/
Xi'an /yã²⁴/
Xining /yã²⁴/
Yinchuan /yan⁵³/
Lanzhou /yɛ̃n⁵³/
Ürümqi /yan⁵¹/
Wuhan /yɛn²¹³/
Chengdu /yan³¹/
Guiyang /ian²¹/
Kunming /iɛ̃³¹/
Nanjing /yen²⁴/
Hefei /yĩ⁵⁵/
Jin Taiyuan /ye¹¹/
Pingyao /ye̞¹³/
Hohhot /ye³¹/
Wu Shanghai /ȵyø²³/
/ɦyø²³/
Suzhou /ɦiø¹³/
Hangzhou /ɦyõ²¹³/
Wenzhou /ȵy³¹/
Hui Shexian /ue⁴⁴/
Tunxi /ȵyɛ⁴⁴/
Xiang Changsha /yẽ¹³/
Xiangtan /yẽ¹²/
Gan Nanchang /ȵyɵn⁴⁵/
Hakka Meixian /ŋian¹¹/
Taoyuan /ŋien¹¹/
Cantonese Guangzhou /jyn²¹/
Nanning /yn²¹/
Hong Kong /jyn²¹/
Min Xiamen (Min Nan) /guan³⁵/
Fuzhou (Min Dong) /ŋuoŋ⁵³/
Jian'ou (Min Bei) /ŋyiŋ³³/
Shantou (Min Nan) /ŋuaŋ⁵⁵/
Haikou (Min Nan) /zuaŋ³¹/
Rime
Character 元
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 疑 (31)
Final (韻) 元 (66)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 愚袁切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /ŋʉɐn/
Pan
Wuyun		 /ŋʷiɐn/
Shao
Rongfen		 /ŋiuɐn/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /ŋuan/
Li
Rong		 /ŋiuɐn/
Wang
Li		 /ŋĭwɐn/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /ŋi̯wɐn/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 yuán
Baxter-Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 元
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 yuán
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ ngjwon ›
Old
Chinese		 /*[ŋ]o[r]/ (< nasal + uvular)
English head; first

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 元
Reading # 1/1
No. 16145
Phonetic
component		 元
Rime
group		 元
Rime
subdivision		 3
Corresponding
MC rime		 元
Old
Chinese		 /*ŋon/

Definitions[edit]

元

  1. † head
  2. first; primary; head; chief
  3. basic; fundamental
  4. origin; source
  5. Classifier for yuan or dollars.
  6. (mathematics) unknown variable
  7. (～朝) Yuan Dynasty
  8. A surname​.
See also[edit]
Dynasties (朝代) in Chinese history
Name Time period Divisions
Xia
夏 (～朝, ～代)		 2070 – 1600 BCE
Shang
商 (～朝, ～代)
殷 (～朝, ～代)		 1600 – 1046 BCE
Zhou
周 (～朝, ～代)		 1046 – 256 BCE Western Zhou
西周
Eastern Zhou
東周／东周		 Spring and Autumn period
春秋
Warring States period
戰國／战国
Qin
秦 (～朝, ～代)		 221 – 206 BCE
Han
漢／汉 (～朝, ～代)		 206 BCE – 220 CE Western Han
西漢／西汉
Xin
新 (～朝)
Eastern Han
東漢／东汉
Three Kingdoms
三國／三国		 220 – 280 CE Wei
魏
Shu
蜀
Wu
吳／吴
Jin
晉／晋 (～朝, ～代)		 265 – 420 CE Western Jin
西晉／西晋
Eastern Jin
東晉／东晋
Southern and Northern dynasties
南北朝		 420 – 589 CE Northern dynasties
北朝		 Northern Wei
北魏
Western Wei
西魏
Eastern Wei
東魏／东魏
Northern Zhou
北周
Northern Qi
北齊／北齐
Southern dynasties
南朝		 Liu Song
劉宋／刘宋
Southern Qi
南齊／南齐
Liang
梁 (～朝, ～代)
Chen
陳／陈 (～朝, ～代)
Sui
隋 (～朝, ～代)		 581 – 618 CE
Tang
唐 (～朝, ～代)		 618 – 907 CE
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
五代十國／五代十国		 907 – 960 CE
Liao
遼／辽 (～朝, ～代)		 907 – 1125 CE
Song
宋 (～朝, ～代)		 960 – 1279 CE Northern Song
北宋
Southern Song
南宋
Western Xia
西夏		 1038 – 1227 CE
Jin
金 (～朝, ～代)		 1115 – 1234 CE
Western Liao
西遼／西辽		 1124 – 1218 CE
Yuan
元 (～朝, ～代)		 1271 – 1368 CE
Ming
明 (～朝, ～代)		 1368 – 1644 CE
Qing
清 (～朝, ～代)		 1636 – 1912 CE

Compounds[edit]

Derived terms from 元

Etymology 2[edit]

For pronunciation and definitions of 元 – see 圓.
(This character, 元, is the second-round simplified form of 圓.)
Notes:

Japanese[edit]

Kanji[edit]

元

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings[edit]

Compounds[edit]

Terms derived from 元
Kanji in this term
元
もと
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Noun[edit]

元 (hiragana もと, rōmaji moto)

  1. cause, origin
  2. basis, foundation
  3. cost
    元 (もと)がとれる
    moto ga toreru
    to be able to cover the cost
  4. (finance) capital
  5. principal

Alternative forms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Derived terms

Proper noun[edit]

元 (hiragana はじめ, rōmaji Hajime)

  1. A male given name

Korean[edit]

Hanja[edit]

元 • (won)

  • Eumhun:
    • Sound (hangeul): 원 (McCune-Reischauer: wŏn)
    • Name (hangeul): 으뜸
  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese[edit]

Han character[edit]

元 (nguyên, nguyễn)

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