川

See also: 州, 巛, and 𫶧

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

川 (Kangxi radical 47, 巛+0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 中中中 (LLL), four-corner 2200₀, composition ⿰丿〢)

Derived characters

• 𠆯, 𠯀, 圳, 汌, 𦘶, 杊, 𤆑, 㸪, 玔, 甽, 𥃹, 𥐣, 紃(𬘓), 𧈶, 𡔠, 訓(训), 𮙰, 䡅, 𫶨, 𪩢, 釧(钏), 馴(驯), 𩵙, 𩾧, 𦤸, 順(顺), 𡵅, 𡿫, 𪯠, 𣅕, 氚, 𫇨, 𤽃, 𥫨, 𥄊, 𥬂, 𪡢, 𩭁, 𨤅

Descendants

• つ (Hiragana character derived from Man'yōgana)
• ツ (Katakana character derived from Man'yōgana)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 323, character 23
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8673
• Dae Jaweon: page 624, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 32, character 2
• Unihan data for U+5DDD

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		川
alternative forms		巛

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 川
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
川	*kʰjon
釧	*kʰjons
巛	*kʰuːn
巡	*sɢljun
馴	*sɢljun
紃	*sɢljun, *ɢljun
甽	*kljuns, *kʷeːnʔ
順	*ɢljuns
訓	*qʰuns

Pictogram (象形) – compare 水 (OC *qʰʷljilʔ).

Etymology

The Middle and Old Chinese reconstruction of this word is phonologically problematic (STEDT):

• Karlgren (1957) notes that the Middle Chinese form is irregular based on evidence from Shijing rimes.
• Based on velar contacts in the same phonetic series, e.g. 巛, 甽 and 訓, Baxter (1992) and Schuessler (2007) reconstruct the word with a velar initial (Handel, 1998; Sagart, 1999), which undergoes irregular palatalization in the development to Middle Chinese (Baxter, 1992).
• Based on other characters in the same phonetic series, e.g. 順 and 馴, Sagart (1999), and later, Baxter and Sagart (2014), reconstructs 川 with a lateral initial and suggests that only a *t- prefix would account for the Middle Chinese initial /t͡ɕʰ/.

Schuessler (2007) relates this word to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kl(j)u(ŋ/k) (“river; valley”), whence 江 (OC *kroːŋ, “river”), 谷 (OC *kloːɡ, “valley”), Tibetan ཀླུང (klung, “river”), Burmese ချောင်း (hkyaung:, “stream”). STEDT notes that this does not account for the *-n coda.

STEDT instead compares it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-t(w)əj-n ~ *m-ti-s (“water; fluid; liquid; river; soak; spit”), whence 涕 (OC *tʰiːlʔ, “tears”), Proto-Kuki-Chin *tuj (“water; fluid; liquid”), Chepang तीः (“water; rain; river”); this depends on a reconstruction with a dental initial and requires positing an *‑n suffix not present in Tibeto-Burman languages.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chuān (chuan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄢ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cuan¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): cyun¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): cun¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): con¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhôn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): con¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): cuan¹
• Northern Min (KCR): chṳ́ing
• Eastern Min (BUC): chuŏng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhoan / chhng / chhuiⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): cuang¹ / cuêng¹ / ceng¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹tshoe
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): qyenn¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chuān
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chuan
    • Wade–Giles: chʻuan¹
    • Yale: chwān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuan
    • Palladius: чуань (čuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cuan¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cuan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuan⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: cyun¹
    • Yale: chyūn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsyn¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: qun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: cun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰun³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: con¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɵn⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhôn
    • Hakka Romanization System: con´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: con¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰon²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: con¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰɔn⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: cuan¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰuæ̃¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chṳ́ing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰyiŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chuŏng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuoŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhoan
    • Tâi-lô: tshuan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhoafn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰuan⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰuan³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Hsinchu, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhng
    • Tâi-lô: tshng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhngf
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Lukang): /t͡sʰŋ̍³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Kinmen): /t͡sʰŋ̍⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhuiⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: tshuinn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhvuy
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Yilan): /t͡sʰuĩ⁴⁴/

Note:

• chhoan - literary;
• chhng/chhuiⁿ - vernacular (only used in 尻川).

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: cuang¹ / cuêng¹ / ceng¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshuang / tshueng / tshṳng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuaŋ³³/, /t͡sʰueŋ³³/, /t͡sʰɯŋ³³/

Note:

• cuang1/cuêng1 - literary (cuêng1 - Chaozhou);
• ceng1 - vernacular (only used in 尻川).

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹tshoe
    • MiniDict: tshoe^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tshoe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰø⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: qyenn¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰy̯ẽ³³/

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• Middle Chinese: tsyhwen

Rime
Character	川
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	昌 (24)
Final (韻)	仙 (78)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	昌緣切
Baxter	tsyhwen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕʰiuᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕʰʷiɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕʰjuæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cʰwian/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕʰiuɛn/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕʰĭwɛn/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡ɕʰi̯wɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chuān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cyun1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*t.l̥u[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰjon/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	川
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chuān
Middle Chinese	‹ tsyhwen ›
Old Chinese	/*t.l̥u[n]/ (MC -jwen is irregular)
English	stream, river
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	川
Reading #	1/1
No.	1628
Phonetic component	川
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	穿
Old Chinese	/*kʰjon/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 川

1. river; stream; brook
2. Template:zh-synonym
3. Short for 四川 (Sìchuān, “Sichuan Province, China”).
4. source (of a river)
5. road
6. plain
7. (deprecated template usage) Alternative form of 穿 (chuān).
8. a surname

See also

• 河 (hé)
• 江 (jiāng)
• 溪 (xī)

Compounds

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji

川

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. river

Readings

• Go-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
• Kun: かわ (kawa, 川, Jōyō)^{←かは (kafa, 川, historical)}
• Nanori: か (ka); こ (ko); さわ (sawa)

Compounds

Compounds

• 川(かわ)上(かみ) (kawakami, “upstream”)
• 川(かわ)下(しも) (kawashimo, “downstream”)
• 川(かわ)岸(ぎし) (kawagishi, “river bank”)
• 川(かわ)口(ぐち) (kawaguchi, “mouth of river”)
• 川(かわ)崎(さき) (Kawasaki, “Kawasaki”)
• 川(かわ)瀬(せ) (kawase, “rapids”)
• 川(かわ)蝉(せみ) (kawasemi, “kingfisher”)
• 川(かわ)端(ばた) (kawabata, “riverbank”)
• 川(かわ)縁(ぶち) (kawabuchi), 川(かわ)縁(べり) (kawaberi, “riverside”)

• 川(かわ)獺(うそ) (kawauso, “otter”)
• 川(かわ)嫁(よめ) (kawayome, “river nymph”)
• 川(かわ)原(ら) (kawara, “riparian plain, flats alongside a river”)
• 川(せん)柳(りゅう) (senryū, “comic haiku”)
• 小(お)川(がわ) (ogawa, “brook”)
• 河(か)川(せん) (kasen, “rivers”)
• 山(さん)川(せん) (sansen, “mountains and rivers”)
• 滝(たき)川(がわ) (takigawa, “rapids”)
• 谷(たに)川(がわ) (tanigawa, “mountain stream”)

• 堀(ほり)川(かわ) (horikawa, “canal”)
• 淀(よど)川(がわ) (Yodogawa, “Yodogawa River”)
• 川(かわ)下(くだ)り (kawakudari, “going downstream”)
• 川(かわ)沿(ぞ)い (kawazoi, “along the river”)
• ドン川(がわ) (Don-gawa, “Don River”)
• 天(あま)の川(がわ) (Ama no gawa, “Milky Way”)
• 江(え)戸(ど)川(がわ) (Edogawa, “Edo River”)
• 角(かど)川(かわ) (Kadokawa, “surname”)
• 河(か)川(せん)敷(しき) (kasenshiki, “riverbed”)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
川
かわ Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
河

From Old Japanese kapa from Proto-Japonic *kapa

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かわ​ [kàwáꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɰᵝa̠]

• IPA^(key): [ko̞ː]

Noun

川(かわ) • (kawa) ^{←かは (kafa)?}

1. river, stream, brook

Synonyms

• 河(か)川(せん) (kasen)

Alternative forms

• 河

Suffix

川(かわ) or 川(suffix) • (kawa or suffix) ^{←かは (kafa)?}[[Category:Japanese
|かわ]]

1. the ... river, used in named of rivers or streams

川(がわ) or 川(suffix) • (gawa or suffix) ^{←がは (gafa)?}[[Category:Japanese
|かわ]]

1. the ... river

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Korean

Hanja

川 (eumhun 내 천 (nae cheon))

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

(deprecated template usage) 川 (xuyên, xiên)

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