巌

See also: 巖

Translingual

Han character

巌 (Kangxi radical 46, 山+17, 20 strokes, cangjie input 山火一大 (UFMK), composition ⿱山厳)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 322, character 29
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8624
• Dae Jaweon: page 622, character 42
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): not present, would follow volume 1, page 806, character 16
• Unihan data for U+5DCC

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Chinese

For pronunciation and definitions of 巌 – see 巖 (“dangerous and important”). (This character is a variant form of 巖).

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Japanese

Kanji

巌

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

Readings

• Go-on: げん (gen)^{←げん (gen, historical)←げむ (gemu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: がん (gan)^{←がん (gan, historical)←がむ (gamu, ancient)}
• Kun: けわしい (kewashii, 巌しい); いわお (iwao, 巌); いわ (iwa, 巌)
• Nanori: よし (yoshi)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
巌
いわお Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
巖 (kyūjitai)

/ipa po/ → /ifafo/ → /iwawo/ → /iwao/

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū finished some time after 759 CE.

Originally a compound of 岩 (ipa → iwa, “boulder; crag”) +‎ 秀 (po → ho, “something tall and prominent”, cognate with 穂 (ho, “ear of grain”), from the sense of something prominent sticking upwards).

The character is Japanese shinjitai, simplified from 巖.

Noun

1. a tall and large rock, crag, or boulder

Proper noun

1. a male given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
巌
いわ Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
巖 (kyūjitai)

/ipa/ → /ifa/ → /iwa/

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū finished some time after 759 CE.

Alternative forms

• 岩, 磐

Noun

1. Alternative spelling of 岩 a rock, crag, or boulder

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
巌
がん Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
巖 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 巖 (MC ngaem).

Affix

1. (only found in compounds) a rock, crag, or boulder

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 巌(がん)下(か) (ganka): the underneath of a large rock, crag, or boulder
• 巌(がん)巌(がん) (gangan): rocky, craggy; sophisticated, lofty, high-minded, noble
• 巌(がん)窟(くつ) (gankutsu): a cave in a crag
• 巌(がん)桂(けい) (gankei): alternative name for 木犀 (mokusei, “sweet osmanthus, a kind of flowering bush”)
• 巌(がん)穴(けつ) (ganketsu) a hollow or small cave in a crag
• 巌(がん)松(しょう) (ganshō): a pine tree growing out of a crag or boulder
• 巌(がん)石(せき) (ganseki): a cluster of crags or boulders
• 巌(がん)泉(せん) (gansen): a spring (water source) in or between crags or boulders
• 巌(がん)阻(そ) (ganso): a steep road in the mountains or crags
• 巌(がん)頭(とう) (gantō): the top of a crag or boulder
• 巌(がん)洞(どう) (gandō): a cave in a crag
• 巌(がん)扉(ぴ) (ganpi): the door or opening to a craggy area; the door or opening to a cave in a crag
• 巌(がん)廊(ろう) (ganrō): literally “lofty halls”, the rooms to either side in a palace; by extension, the imperial court