兩

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See also: 両 and 两
兩 U+5169, 兩
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5169
← 全
[U+5168] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 兪 →
[U+516A]
兩 U+F978, 兩
CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F978
← 亮
[U+F977] 		CJK Compatibility Ideographs 凉 →
[U+F979]

Translingual[edit]

Traditional 兩
Shinjitai 両
Simplified 两
Stroke order

Han character[edit]

兩 (Kangxi radical 11, 入+6, 8 strokes, cangjie input 一中月人 (MLBO), four-corner 10227, composition ⿻帀𠓜)

Derived characters[edit]

References[edit]

  • KangXi: page 126, character 13
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1436
  • Dae Jaweon: page 272, character 11
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 24, character 2
  • Unihan data for U+5169

Chinese[edit]

trad. 兩
simp. 两
alternative forms 両 especially “tael”
㒳
𭃂

Glyph origin[edit]

Historical forms of the character 兩
Bronze inscriptions

b11978

b11979

b11980

b11981

b11982

b11983

b11984

b11985

b11986

b11987

b11988

b11989

b11990

b11991

b11992

Small seal script

s05489

Transcribed ancient scripts

L35075

L35076

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 (Liushutong characters) and
  • Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (兩) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
倆 *raŋʔ
兩 *raŋʔ, *raŋs
脼 *raŋʔ
緉 *raŋʔ, *raŋs
蜽 *raŋʔ
魎 *raŋʔ
輛 *raŋs

According to Shuowen Jiezi an ideogrammic compound (會意): 一 + 㒳. Baxter (1992) observes that, in historical forms, the character is two 丙 (OC *praŋʔ) joined together; this would make 丙 the phonetic component in a sort of phono-ideogrammic compound (see also Baxter & Sagart (2014)).

Etymology[edit]

Unknown. Schuessler (2007) proposes two possible etymologies:

Derivative: 輛 (OC *raŋs, “chariot”) (literally “that which is paired”, i.e. “a set of wheels”).

Pronunciation 1[edit]

Note:
  • lâng - vernacular;
  • liōng - literary.
  • Min Nan
    • Note:
    • nn̄g/nňg/nō͘ - vernacular;
    • lióng - literary.
    Note:
    • no6 - vernacular;
    • liang2 - literary.
  • Wu
  • Xiang
    • Rime
    Character 兩
    Reading # 1/2
    Initial (聲) 來 (37)
    Final (韻) 陽 (105)
    Tone (調) Rising (X)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division (等) III
    Fanqie 良㢡切
    Baxter ljangX
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/lɨɐŋX/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/liɐŋX/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/liɑŋX/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/lɨaŋX/
    Li
    Rong         		/liaŋX/
    Wang
    Li         		/lĭaŋX/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/li̯aŋX/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		liǎng
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex         		loeng5
    Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character 兩
    Reading # 1/1
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)         		liǎng
    Middle
    Chinese         		‹ ljangX ›
    Old
    Chinese         		/*p.raŋʔ/
    English a pair

    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 兩
    Reading # 1/2
    No. 8054
    Phonetic
    component         		兩
    Rime
    group         		陽
    Rime
    subdivision         		0
    Corresponding
    MC rime
    Old
    Chinese         		/*raŋʔ/

    Definitions[edit]

    兩

    1. two
      兩隻熱氣球／两只热气球  ―  liǎng zhī rèqìqiú  ―  two hot air balloons
    2. two (used in radio communications in aviation and by the military)
    3. some; few
      你們這兩天真夠辛苦的。 [MSC, trad.]
      你们这两天真够辛苦的。 [MSC, simp.]
      Nǐmen zhè liǎng tiān zhēn gòu xīnkǔ de. [Pinyin]
      You've really been working hard the past few days.
    4. different; distinct
      兩樣／两样  ―  liǎngyàng  ―  difference
      我們說的是兩回事。 [MSC, trad.]
      我们说的是两回事。 [MSC, simp.]
      Wǒmen shuō de shì liǎng huí shì. [Pinyin]
      We are talking about different things.
    5. a surname
    Usage notes[edit]
    • In Standard Mandarin, 兩／两 (liǎng) is used when counting things with a measure word, 二 (èr) is used in numbers.
      • Examples with 兩／两 (liǎng)
        兩個人／两个人  ―  liǎng ge rén  ―  two people
        兩年／两年  ―  liǎng nián  ―  two years
        兩百／两百  ―  liǎng bǎi  ―  two hundred
        兩千／两千  ―  liǎng qiān  ―  two thousand
      • Examples with 二 (èr)
        二十  ―  èrshí  ―  twenty (literally, “two tens”)
        二百  ―  èr bǎi  ―  two hundred
        第二  ―  dì'èr  ―  second
        But not *二個人
    Synonyms[edit]
    • 二 (èr, “two”)

    Compounds[edit]

    Pronunciation 2[edit]

    Wikipedia has articles on:

    Note:
    • niên2 - Chaozhou;
    • nion2 - Shantou.
  • Wu
    • Rime
    Character 兩
    Reading # 1/2
    Initial (聲) 來 (37)
    Final (韻) 陽 (105)
    Tone (調) Rising (X)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division (等) III
    Fanqie 良㢡切
    Baxter ljangX
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/lɨɐŋX/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/liɐŋX/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/liɑŋX/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/lɨaŋX/
    Li
    Rong         		/liaŋX/
    Wang
    Li         		/lĭaŋX/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/li̯aŋX/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		liǎng
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex         		loeng5
    Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character 兩
    Reading # 1/1
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)         		liǎng
    Middle
    Chinese         		‹ ljangX ›
    Old
    Chinese         		/*p.raŋʔ/
    English a pair

    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 兩
    Reading # 1/2
    No. 8054
    Phonetic
    component         		兩
    Rime
    group         		陽
    Rime
    subdivision         		0
    Corresponding
    MC rime
    Old
    Chinese         		/*raŋʔ/

    Definitions[edit]

    兩

    1. tael (a traditional unit of weight)
      1. (Mainland China) Short for 市兩／市两 (shìliǎng, “market tael, equal to 1/10 of a catty or 50 grams”).
      2. (Hong Kong) equal to 1/16 of a catty or 37.7994 grams
      3. (Taiwan) Short for 臺兩／台两 (“Taiwanese tael, equal to 1/16 of a catty or 37.5 grams”).
      4. (historical) metal currency unit used in China and Japan
    2. Short for 公兩／公两 (gōngliǎng, “hectogram”).
    Usage notes[edit]
    • In older literature, using 両 for "tael" and 兩／两 for "two" can be seen.
    • The variant form 𭃂 is commonly found in shop signs displaying prices.

    Compounds[edit]

    Pronunciation 3[edit]

    Rime
    Character 兩
    Reading # 2/2
    Initial (聲) 來 (37)
    Final (韻) 陽 (105)
    Tone (調) Departing (H)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division (等) III
    Fanqie 力讓切
    Baxter ljangH
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/lɨɐŋH/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/liɐŋH/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/liɑŋH/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/lɨaŋH/
    Li
    Rong         		/liaŋH/
    Wang
    Li         		/lĭaŋH/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/li̯aŋH/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		liàng
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex         		loeng6
    Zhengzhang system (2003)
    Character 兩
    Reading # 2/2
    No. 8061
    Phonetic
    component         		兩
    Rime
    group         		陽
    Rime
    subdivision         		0
    Corresponding
    MC rime         		亮
    Old
    Chinese         		/*raŋs/
    Notes 後作輛

    Definitions[edit]

    兩

    1. Original form of 輛／辆 (liàng).

    Pronunciation 4[edit]

    For pronunciation and definitions of 兩 – see 魎 (“a kind of monster”).
    (This character, 兩, is a variant form of 魎.)

    Compounds[edit]

    Descendants[edit]

    Sino-Xenic (兩):

    Others:

    Further reading[edit]

    Japanese[edit]

    Shinjitai

    		両

    Kyūjitai

    		兩

    Kanji[edit]

    兩

    (uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 両)

    1. both

    Readings[edit]

    Alternative forms[edit]

    • 两 (also kyūjitai)

    Korean[edit]

    Etymology 1[edit]

    Hanja[edit]

    兩 (eumhun 두 량 (du ryang), South Korea 두 양 (du yang))

    1. Hanja form? of 량 (“both”).

    Compounds[edit]

    Etymology 2[edit]

    Hanja[edit]

    兩 (eumhun 냥 냥 (nyang nyang), South Korea 냥 양 (nyang yang))

    1. Hanja form? of 냥 (“(archaic) (units of measure) a liang or tael, a unit of weight equivalent to about 40 g”).
    2. Hanja form? of 냥 (“(archaic) (units of coinage) a nyang”).

    Vietnamese[edit]

    Han character[edit]

    兩: Hán Nôm readings: lưỡng[1][2][3][4][5][6], lượng[1][2][4][5][6], lạng[1][2][3][5][6][7]

    1. Nôm form of lạng (“tael (unit of weight equal to 37.8 grams)”).
    2. chữ Hán form of lượng (“tael”).
    3. chữ Hán form of lưỡng (“two, both”).

    References[edit]

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Génibrel (1898).
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bonet (1899).
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thiều Chửu (1942).
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nguyễn (1974).
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Trần (1999).
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
    7. ^ Hồ (1976).
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