娘

See also: 孃 and 嬢

娘 U+5A18, 娘 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5A18 ← 娗 [U+5A17] CJK Unified Ideographs 娙 → [U+5A19]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

娘 (radical 38 女+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 女戈日女 (VIAV), four-corner 4343₂, composition ⿰女良)

References

• KangXi: page 262, character 16
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6304
• Dae Jaweon: page 529, character 6
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1054, character 5
• Unihan data for U+5A18

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Chinese

trad.		娘/孃
simp.		娘
孃: “mother”

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (良) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
剆	*raːl, *raːlʔ
郎	*raːŋ
稂	*raːŋ
桹	*raːŋ
鋃	*raːŋ
硠	*raːŋ
浪	*raːŋ, *raːŋs
蜋	*raːŋ, *raŋ
琅	*raːŋ
狼	*raːŋ
欴	*raːŋ
踉	*raːŋ, *raŋ, *raŋs
莨	*raːŋ, *raːŋs
艆	*raːŋ
駺	*raːŋ
躴	*raːŋ
筤	*raːŋ
閬	*raːŋ, *raːŋs
哴	*raːŋ, *raŋs
蓈	*raːŋ
廊	*raːŋ
榔	*raːŋ, *raːŋʔ
螂	*raːŋ
瑯	*raːŋ
朗	*raːŋʔ
朖	*raːŋʔ
誏	*raːŋʔ
俍	*raːŋʔ
崀	*raːŋʔ
埌	*raːŋs
蒗	*raːŋs
娘	*naŋ
良	*raŋ
粮	*raŋ
悢	*raŋs

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *naŋ): semantic 女 + phonetic 良 (OC *raŋ).

Etymology

This syllable was not attested in pre-Tang texts. It may ultimately have been a fusion of 女郎 (MC ɳɨʌ^X lɑŋ, “lady”) (Coblin, 1994: 389).

It is sometimes regarded as a loan from Proto-Turkic *ana ~ *eńe (“mother”); see Turkish ana and Uyghur ئانا‎ (ana) (Vovin & McCraw, 2011).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): niáng (niang²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄧㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): noeng⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): ngiòng
• Min Dong (BUC): niòng
• Min Nan (POJ): liông / liâng / niû / niô͘ / niâu / niâ
• Wu (Wiktionary): nyian (T3)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: niáng
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧㄤˊ
    • Wade-Giles: niang²
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: niang
    • IPA ^(key): /ni̯ɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: noeng⁴
    • Yale: nèuhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: noeng⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: nêng⁴
    • IPA ^(key): /nœːŋ²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngiòng
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngiongˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngiong²
    • IPA: /ɲi̯oŋ¹¹/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: niòng
    • IPA ^(key): /nˡuoŋ⁵³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: liông
    • Tâi-lô: liông
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lioong
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Xiamen): /liɔŋ²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: liâng
    • Tâi-lô: liâng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: liaang
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /liaŋ¹³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, mainstream Taiwanese, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: niû
    • Tâi-lô: niû
    • Phofsit Daibuun: niuu
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Taipei, Xiamen): /niũ²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /niũ²³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: niô͘
    • Tâi-lô: niôo
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /niɔ̃¹³/
  • (Hokkien: Penang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: niâu
    • Tâi-lô: niâu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: niaau
    • IPA (Penang): /niaʊ²³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, mainstream Taiwanese, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: niâ
    • Tâi-lô: niâ
    • Phofsit Daibuun: niaa
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /niã²³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Taipei, Xiamen): /niã²⁴/

Note:

• liông/liâng - literary;
• niû/niô͘/niâ - vernacular.

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: nyian (T3)
  • IPA ^(key): /n̠ʲiã²³/

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• Dialectal data▼

Variety	Location	edit 娘
Mandarin	Beijing	/niɑŋ³⁵/
	Harbin	/niaŋ²⁴/
	Tianjin	/niɑŋ⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/ȵiaŋ⁴²/
	Qingdao	/niaŋ⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/niaŋ⁴²/
	Xi'an	/niaŋ²⁴/
	Xining	/ȵiɔ̃²⁴/
	Yinchuan	/niɑŋ⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/ȵiɑ̃⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/ȵiɑŋ⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/niaŋ²¹³/
	Chengdu	/ȵiaŋ³¹/
	Guiyang	/niaŋ²¹/
	Kunming	/niã̠³¹/
	Nanjing	/liaŋ²⁴/ 爹～ /liaŋ³¹/ 姑姑
	Hefei	/liɑ̃⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/niɒ̃¹¹/ ～家 /niɒ̃⁴⁵/ 姥姥
	Pingyao	/ȵiɑŋ¹³/ /ȵyə¹³/ ～～廟
	Hohhot	/niɑ̃³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ȵiã²³/
	Suzhou	/ȵiã¹³/
	Hangzhou	/ȵiɑŋ²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/ȵi³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/nia⁴⁴/
	Tunxi	/ȵiau⁴⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/ȵian¹³/
	Xiangtan	/ȵian¹²/
Gan	Nanchang	/ȵiɔŋ⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/ŋioŋ¹¹/
	Taoyuan	/ŋioŋ¹¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/nœŋ²¹/
	Nanning	/nɛŋ⁵⁵/ /nœŋ²¹/
	Hong Kong	/nœŋ²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/liɔŋ³⁵/ /niu³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/nuoŋ⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/niɔŋ³³/ /niɔŋ²¹/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/niõ⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/niaŋ³¹/ /nio³¹/

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• Middle Chinese: /ɳɨɐŋ/▼

Rime
Character	娘
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	娘 (12)
Final (韻)	陽 (105)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	女良切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɳɨɐŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/ɳiɐŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/niɑŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɳɨaŋ/
Li Rong	/niaŋ/
Wang Li	/nĭaŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/ni̯aŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	niáng

• Old Chinese▼

  (Zhengzhang): /*naŋ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	娘
Reading #	1/1
No.	8045
Phonetic component	良
Rime group	陽
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	孃
Old Chinese	/*naŋ/
Notes	女郎合音

Definitions

娘

1. woman, especially a young girl

   姑娘  ―  gūniang  ―  girl

2. (colloquial) mother; ma
3. wife of another person
4. elderly lady
5. (religion) "The Lady", an epithet of the Fujianese sea goddess Mazu (媽祖／妈祖).
   • 天后宮位於澎湖縣馬公市正義街上，俗稱『天妃宮』、『媽祖宮』，在明代稱為『娘宮』、『媽娘宮』、『娘媽宮』『媽宮』等 [MSC, trad.]
     天后宫位于澎湖县马公市正义街上，俗称‘天妃宫’、‘妈祖宫’，在明代称为‘娘宫’、‘妈娘宫’、‘娘妈宫’‘妈宫’等 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2013?, "澎湖天后宫 (Penghu Tianhou Temple), 蚂蜂窝 (Mafengwo)

     Tiānhòu Gōng wèiyú Pénghú Xiàn Mǎgōng Shì Zhèngyì Jiē shàng, súchēng ‘Tiānfēi Gōng’, ‘Māzǔ Gōng’, zài Míngdài chēngwéi ‘Niáng Gōng’, ‘Māniáng Gōng’, ‘Niángmā Gōng’ ‘Mā Gōng’ děng [Pinyin]

     The Tianhou Temple located on Zhengyi Street, Magong City, Penghu County, commonly known as the “Tianfei Temple” or the “Mazu Temple”, known as “Niang Temple”, “Maninang Temple”, “Niangma Temple”, etc. during the Ming dynasty
6. (～母) (phonology) a Middle Chinese initial and the 'Phags-pa script letter ꡇ (ny-)

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 媽媽 (“mum (face-to-face)”) [map]
Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		母親
Mandarin	Beijing	媽媽、媽、娘
	Taiwan	媽媽、媽
	Tianjin	媽媽、媽
	Harbin	媽、媽媽
	Shenyang	媽媽
	Jinan	媽、媽媽、娘
	Muping	媽
	Luoyang	媽、媽兒
	Jiedian	嬤
	Ronghe	媽
	Xi'an	媽
	Xining	阿媽、媽媽、姆媽
	Xuzhou	媽媽、娘、大兒
	Yinchuan	媽
	Lanzhou	媽
	Ürümqi	媽媽、媽、阿娘 Hui、阿娘子 used with minorities
	Wuhan	姆媽、媽媽
	Chengdu	媽媽、媽
	Guiyang	媽
	Liuzhou	阿媽、媽
	Kunming	媽
	Yangzhou	媽媽、姆媽
	Nanjing	媽、姆媽、娘
	Hefei	媽、媽爺
Cantonese	Guangzhou	阿媽、媽媽
	Hong Kong	媽咪、阿媽、媽媽
	Dongguan	阿媽、阿奶、阿姐、媽媽 childish、媽咪 childish
	Hong Kong (Weitou)	阿媽、阿奶
	Taishan	媽
	Yangjiang	阿媽、阿娘
	Xinyi	阿媽
	Nanning	媽媽、阿媽、媽
	Kuala Lumpur	阿媽、媽咪
Gan	Nanchang	姆媽
	Lichuan	姆媽
	Pingxiang	姆媽
Hakka	Meixian	阿姆、阿嫲
	Xingning	阿媽
	Qujiang	阿姆
	Xiaosanjiang	阿姆、阿嬸
	Changting	姆媽、姆娓
	Pingyu	姆
	Wuping	姆姆、依呀
	Liancheng	姆
	Ninghua	姆媽
	Yudu	姆、媽媽、媽
	Ruijin	姆媽
	Shicheng	姆媽
	Shangyou	嫫
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	阿姆
	Liudui (S. Sixian)	阿姆、姆媽
	Hsinchu (Hailu)	阿姆
	Dongshi (Dabu)	阿姆
	Zhuolan (Raoping)	阿姆
	Yunlin (Zhao'an)	阿依
	Hong Kong	阿媽
	Sabah	阿姆
	Senai	阿媽
	Singkawang	阿姆
Huizhou	Jixi	姆
Jin	Taiyuan	媽
	Xinzhou	波哇、波波呀、呀波呀
Min Bei	Jian'ou	依呀、媽媽
Min Dong	Fuzhou	依媽、依奶
	Fuqing	奶、依奶、媽媽、依娜
	Matsu	依奶
Min Nan	Xiamen	阿母、阿母仔、母仔、阿媽、阿娘
	Quanzhou	阿母、母仔、阿娘
	Zhangzhou	阿母、母仔
	Taipei	阿母、阿娘、媽媽
	Kaohsiung	卡桑、阿母仔
	Tainan	歐卡桑、阿母、俺娘仔、娘嬭
	Taichung	媽媽、阿母
	Hsinchu	媽媽、阿娘、阿母
	Lukang	阿母、阿娘、姨仔
	Sanxia	阿母、阿娘、姨仔
	Yilan	阿母、阿娘
	Kinmen	俺娘仔
	Magong	阿母
	Penang	阿母、阿媽、媽媽、媽
	Singapore	阿母
	Chaozhou	阿媽、阿娘、阿姈
	Haifeng	媽、媽媽
	Johor Bahru	阿媽、媽媽
	Haikou	阿媽、阿姐、阿娘 dated、阿嫂 dated
	Leizhou	嬭、姨 dated
Pinghua	Nanning	媽、阿媼 dated
Wu	Shanghai	媽媽、姆媽
	Suzhou	姆媽
	Hangzhou	姆媽、媽媽
	Wenzhou	阿媽、阿奶、奶
	Chongming	姆媽
	Danyang	媽、娘
	Jinhua	姆媽
	Ningbo	阿姆、姆媽
Xiang	Changsha	媽媽、姆媽、娘老子
	Shuangfeng	姆媽
	Loudi	依爺、姆媽、娘老子

Compounds

Derived terms from 娘

• 丁娘十索
• 七娘媽／七娘妈
• 丈母娘 (zhàngmuniáng)
• 三娘教子
• 乾娘／干娘 (gānniáng)
• 二娘
• 二娘子
• 些娘大
• 伯娘 (bóniáng)
• 伴娘 (bànniáng)
• 偷婆娘
• 兩娘女／两娘女
• 公孫大娘／公孙大娘
• 再長爹娘／再长爹娘
• 出娘胎
• 出自娘胎
• 半老徐娘
• 可喜娘
• 可憎娘
• 喜娘
• 回娘家
• 堂分姑娘
• 夜度娘
• 大姑娘 (dàgūniang)
• 大娘 (dàniáng)
• 大娘子
• 大腳婆娘／大脚婆娘
• 夫娘
• 女娘
• 奶娘
• 姑娘 (gūniang)
• 姑娘兒／姑娘儿
• 姑娘家
• 姑娘氣／姑娘气
• 姨娘
• 娘兒／娘儿
• 娘兒們／娘儿们
• 娘姨
• 娘娘 (niángniang)
• 娘娘腔 (niángniangqiāng)
• 娘婆
• 娘媽／娘妈 (Niángmā)
• 娘子 (niángzǐ)
• 娘子軍／娘子军

• 娘子關／娘子关
• 娘家 (niángjia)
• 娘母子
• 娘的
• 娘老子 (niánglǎozi)
• 娘胎
• 娘舅
• 娘親／娘亲 (niángqīn)
• 婆娘 (póniáng)
• 婆娘子
• 媽娘／妈娘 (Māniáng)
• 嬌娘／娇娘
• 嬸娘／婶娘
• 小姑娘
• 小娘
• 小娘子
• 師娘／师娘
• 廚娘／厨娘
• 後娘／后娘
• 徐娘
• 徐娘半老 (xúniángbànlǎo)
• 掃晴娘／扫晴娘
• 新娘 (xīnniáng)
• 新娘子
• 新娘花
• 新娘車／新娘车
• 新嫁娘
• 晚娘
• 晚娘面孔
• 月宮娘娘／月宫娘娘
• 末娘
• 李三娘
• 梅花小娘
• 正頭娘子／正头娘子
• 歹婆娘
• 波娘
• 泰國新娘／泰国新娘
• 泰山娘娘
• 漁娘／渔娘
• 灰姑娘 (Huīgūniang)
• 爹娘 (diēniáng)
• 爺娘／爷娘 (yéniáng)
• 爺羹娘飯／爷羹娘饭
• 爺飯娘羹／爷饭娘羹

• 王母娘娘
• 痘疹娘娘
• 白娘子
• 百花娘子
• 看麥娘／看麦娘
• 祭東施娘／祭东施娘
• 秋娘
• 管家娘子
• 紅姑娘／红姑娘
• 紅娘／红娘 (hóngniáng)
• 紡織娘／纺织娘
• 細娘／细娘
• 織布娘／织布娘
• 美嬌娘／美娇娘
• 老大娘 (lǎodàniáng)
• 老姑娘 (lǎogūniang)
• 老娘 (lǎoniáng)
• 老娘兒／老娘儿
• 老婆娘
• 老板娘
• 老闆娘／老板娘 (lǎobǎnniáng)
• 花娘
• 花魁娘子
• 蕭娘／萧娘
• 親娘／亲娘 (qīnniáng)
• 註生娘娘／注生娘娘
• 豆姑娘
• 豆娘 (dòuniáng)
• 豆娘子
• 趙五娘／赵五娘
• 酒娘子
• 重生爺娘／重生爷娘
• 針線娘／针线娘
• 鐵娘子／铁娘子
• 阿娘 (āniáng)
• 陳三五娘／陈三五娘
• 離娘飯／离娘饭
• 韋娘／韦娘
• 養娘／养娘
• 養婆娘／养婆娘
• 馬頭娘／马头娘
• 駕娘／驾娘
• 麼娘／么娘

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (娘):

• Japanese: 嬢 (じょう) (jō)
• Korean: 낭 (娘, nang)
• Vietnamese: nương (娘)

Others:

• Khmer: នាង (niəng, “young woman; girl”)
• Lao: ນາງ (nāng, “woman; girl; lady; Mrs.”)
• Thai: นาง (naang, “woman; wife; female lover”)
• Vietnamese: nàng (“lady; young woman; she”)

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Japanese

Kanji

娘

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Goon: にょう (nyō)^{←にやう (nyau, historical)}
• Kan’on: じょう (jō)^{←ぢやう (dyau, historical)}
• Tōon: にゃん (nyan)
• Kun: むすめ (musume, 娘, Jōyō); こ (ko, 娘)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
娘
むすめ Grade: S
kun’yomi

Compound of 生す (musu, “to beget”) +‎ 女 (me, “female”).

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) むすめ​ [mùsúméꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
  • IPA^(key): [mɯ̟ᵝsɨᵝme̞]

Noun

娘 (counter 人, hiragana むすめ, rōmaji musume)

1. (humble) a daughter
   • 2007 October 20, Hiroshi, Izawa; Kotaro, Yamada, “最さい終しゅう話わ　それぞれの道みちへ [Final Chapter: Epilog]”, in ファイアーエムブレム 覇者の剣 [Fire Emblem: Sword of Champions], volume 5 (fiction, in Japanese), Jump Remix edition, Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, page 352:

     王 (おう)国 (こく)の『娘 (むすめ)』セシリア

     Ōkoku no ‘Musume’ Seshiria

     Cecilia, ‘Daughter’ of the Kingdom

Synonyms

• (daughter): 娘 (むすめ)さん (musume-san), お嬢 (じょう)さん (ojōsan) (honorific)

See also

• 女 (じょ)子 (し) (joshi): girl
• 女 (おんな)の子 (こ) (onna no ko): girl
• 女 (おんな) (onna): woman
• 息子 (むすこ) (musuko): son
• 男 (だん)子 (し) (danshi): boy
• 男 (おとこ)の子 (こ) (otoko no ko): boy
• 男 (おとこ) (otoko): man

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
娘
こ Grade: S
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling. See 子 (ko).

Noun

娘 (hiragana こ, rōmaji ko)

1. Alternative spelling of 子 (“girl”)
   • 1996 February 20 [Feb 15 1988], Adachi, Mitsuru, “テイク・オフ [Take Off]”, in SHORT PROGRAMショート・プログラム [SHORT PROGRAM], volume 1 (fiction, in Japanese), 25th edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 107:

     自 (じ)分 (ぶん)で自 (じ)分 (ぶん)の行 (こう)動 (どう)に条 (じょう)件 (けん)をつけちゃうんだよ、この娘 (こ)——例 (たと)えば、毎 (まい)年 (とし)初 (はつ)雪 (ゆき)が降 (ふ)るまでモチは食 (く)わないとか、霊 (れい)柩 (きゅう)車 (しゃ)が通 (とお)るまで道 (みち)を渡 (わた)らないとか、ネコがあくびするまでコタツを出 (で)ないとか。

     Jibun de jibun no kōdō ni jōken o tsukechaun da yo, kono ko—— Tatoeba, maitoshi hatsuyuki ga furu made mochi wa kuwanai toka, reikyūsha ga tōru made michi o wataranai toka, neko ga akubisuru made kotatsu o denai toka.

     This girl, I’m telling you, she sets terms for every of her own actions—— Like, not eating mochi until the first snowfall of each year, not crossing the street until the hearse passes by, or not leaving the kotatsu until her cat yawns.

   • 2000 January 20 [Nov 20 1982], Tezuka, Osamu, “第３話　スタ一誕生 [Chapter 3: Birth of a Star]”, in ブラック・ジャック [Black Jack], volume 11 (fiction, in Japanese), 8th edition, Tokyo: Hakusensha, →ISBN, page 62:

     その娘はもう死・ん・だ・　魅力的な子だった

     Sono ko wa mō SHINDA　Miryokuteki na ko datta

     That girl is already DEAD. She was very attractive.

   • 2010 December 8, Sorachi, Hideaki, “第だい三百二十二訓くん　二に度どあることは三さん度どある [Lesson 322: Twice, Thrice That There Are]”, in 銀ぎん魂たま [Silver Soul], volume 37 (fiction, in Japanese), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN:

     うは　ホントだ‼プリップリ　デカプリ娘 (コ)だっ…………

     Uha honto da‼ Purippuri DeKapuriko da'…………

     For real, man‼ Real voluptuous. That’s a VoLuprigirl…………

     …間 (ま)違 (ちが)った　アーノルド酒 (シュ)乱 (ラン)ツェネ娘 (コ)だった

     …Machigatta Ānorudo Shurantseneko datta

     …Nah, that’s just an Arnold Drunkeneggirl

Derived terms

• お転 (てん)婆 (ば)娘 (こ) (otenbako, “tomboy”)
• ドジっ娘 (こ) (dojikko, “clumsy girl”)
• 眼鏡 (めがね)っ娘 (こ) (meganekko, “bespectacled girl”)

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Korean

Hanja

娘 • (nang) (hangeul 낭)

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

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Vietnamese

Han character

娘 (nương, nàng, nường)

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