昆

See also: 皆 and 崑

昆 U+6606, 昆 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6606 ← 昅 [U+6605] CJK Unified Ideographs 昇 → [U+6607]

Translingual

Han character

昆 (Kangxi radical 72, 日+4, 8 strokes, cangjie input 日心心 (APP), four-corner 6071₁, composition ⿱日比)

Derived characters

• 婫, 堒, 惃, 棍, 混, 焜, 掍, 錕, 尡, 䛰, 鯤

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 490, character 39
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13792
• Dae Jaweon: page 852, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1489, character 9
• Unihan data for U+6606

Chinese

trad.		昆
simp. #		昆
alternative forms		晜 𥊽 㒭 𣋥 𧲟

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 昆
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
昆	*kuːn
琨	*kuːn
鯤	*kuːn
菎	*kuːn
崐	*kuːn
蜫	*kuːn
惃	*kuːn, *kuːnʔ
錕	*kuːn, *kuːnʔ
猑	*kuːn
騉	*kuːn
緄	*kuːnʔ
輥	*kuːnʔ
棍	*kuːns, *ɡuːnʔ
餛	*ɡuːn
混	*ɡuːnʔ
焜	*ɡuːnʔ
倱	*ɡuːnʔ
掍	*ɡuːnʔ
箟	*kʰrun

Pictogram (象形) – the body and legs of an insect.

Etymology 1

trad.		昆
simp. #		昆
alternative forms		蜫 䖵

“elder brother”

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)əw-n (“elder brother; senior male relative”); cognate with 舅 (OC *ɡuʔ, “maternal uncle”) (Benedict, 1972; STEDT).

Alternatively, it may be related to Middle Mon ကော (kao, “elder brother”), with nominal suffix -n added (Schuessler, 2007).

“descendants; later”

Perhaps from Proto-Mon-Khmer *kuun (“child”); cognate with Min 囝 (“son; child”) (Schuessler, 2007) and with ancient Chu dialect 觀 (OC *koːn, “child; offspring”) (Ye, 2014); cf. also some rear meanings of the characters 丱 (OC *kroːns, “young child”), 鯤 (OC *kuːn, “roe; fish egg”) and 鰥 (OC *kruːn, “roe”) (ibid.). In modern Wu dialects the character 官 (OC *koːn) is used to mean "children" (ibid.).

“many; numerous”

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-kul (“twenty; all”); cognate with 群 (OC *ɡlun, “herd; all”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

“quetta-”

Phono-semantic matching of English quetta-. Coined by the China National Committee for Terminology in Science and Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation on World Metrology Day in 2023 (20 May 2023).

昆 is pronounced with aspirated initial /kʰ/ instead of the expected /k/ in the majority of modern varieties of Chinese. The /k/ sound in 昆 (MC kwon) was changed to /kʰ/ during its historical development to avoid homophony with 褌 (MC kwon, “underclothing”), a word that was historically in vernacular use (Hirayama, 2005).

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kūn (kun¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄨㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kwan¹, gwan¹
• Gan (Wiktionary): kun¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khûn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): kun¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): kung¹
• Min Bei (KCR): kó̤ng
• Min Dong (BUC): kŏng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): khun

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kung¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Shanghainese): ¹khuen
• Xiang (Wiktionary): kun¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kūn
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄨㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kun
    • Wade–Giles: kʻun¹
    • Yale: kwūn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kuen
    • Palladius: кунь (kunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu̯ən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kwan¹, gwan¹
    • Yale: kwān, gwān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kwan¹, gwan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: kuen¹, guen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷʰɐn⁵⁵/, /kʷɐn⁵⁵/

Note:

• gwan1 - literary;
• kwan1 - vernacular.

Gan

• (Nanchang)
  • Wiktionary: kun¹
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰun⁴²/

Hakka

• (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khûn
  • Hakka Romanization System: kun´
  • Hagfa Pinyim: kun¹
  • Sinological IPA: /kʰun²⁴/
• (Meixian)
  • Guangdong: kun¹
  • Sinological IPA: /kʰun⁴⁴/

Jin

• (Taiyuan)⁺
  • Wiktionary: kung¹
  • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kʰxũŋ¹¹/

Min Bei

• (Jian'ou)
  • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: kó̤ng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɔŋ⁵⁴/

Min Dong

• (Fuzhou)
  • Bàng-uâ-cê: kŏng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰouŋ⁵⁵/

Min Nan

• (Hokkien)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khun
  • Tâi-lô: khun
  • Phofsit Daibuun: qwn
  • IPA (Xiamen): /kʰun⁴⁴/
  • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰun³³/
  • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰun⁴⁴/
  • IPA (Taipei): /kʰun⁴⁴/
  • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰun⁴⁴/
• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: kung¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khung
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰuŋ³³/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wugniu: ¹khuen
  • Wiktionary Romanisation: ¹khun
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰuən⁵³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: kun¹
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰuən³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: kwon

Rime
Character	昆
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	魂 (55)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古渾切
Baxter	kwon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuən/
Pan Wuyun	/kuon/
Shao Rongfen	/kuən/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwən/
Li Rong	/kuən/
Wang Li	/kuən/
Bernard Karlgren	/kuən/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gūn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gwan1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ˤu[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kuːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	昆
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	kūn
Middle Chinese	‹ kwon ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ˁu[n]/
English	elder brother
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	昆
Reading #	1/1
No.	7519
Phonetic component	昆
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	昆
Old Chinese	/*kuːn/
Notes	金文象日下二人比肩同作， 造意同眾而省文， 如夕月異語共義轉註例

Definitions

昆

1. (obsolete) together
2. (literary) elder brother

   • 終遠兄弟，謂他人昆。謂他人昆，亦莫我聞。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     终远兄弟，谓他人昆。谓他人昆，亦莫我闻。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhōng yuàn xiōngdì, wèi tārén kūn. Wèi tārén kūn, yì mò wǒ wén. [Pinyin]

     For ever separated from my brothers,
     I call a stranger elder-brother.
     I call a stranger elder-brother,
     But he will not listen to me.

3. (literary) descendants
4. (obsolete) later
5. (obsolete) many; numerous

   昆蟲／昆虫  ―  kūnchóng  ―  insect

6. (obsolete) Alternative form of 焜 (kūn)
7. Short for 昆明 (Kūnmíng).

   成昆鐵路／成昆铁路  ―  Chéng Kūn Tiělù  ―  Chengdu–Kunming railway

8. a surname
9. (Mainland China) quetta- (SI unit prefix)

   Synonym: 奎 (kuí) (Taiwan)

Compounds

• 公昆弟
• 垂裕後昆／垂裕后昆
• 寄生昆蟲／寄生昆虫
• 後昆／后昆
• 昆仲 (kūnzhòng)
• 昆吾
• 昆士蘭／昆士兰 (Kūnshìlán)
• 昆夷
• 昆季
• 昆布 (kūnbù)
• 昆弟
• 昆弟之好
• 昆明 (Kūnmíng)
• 昆明池
• 昆明湖 (Kūnmíng Hú)
• 昆池劫灰
• 昆玉 (kūnyù)
• 昆蟲／昆虫 (kūnchóng)
• 昆蟲學／昆虫学 (kūnchóngxué)
• 昆蟲綱／昆虫纲
• 昆裔
• 昆邪
• 昆陽／昆阳
• 玉昆金友
• 賢昆仲／贤昆仲
• 賢昆玉／贤昆玉
• 金友玉昆

 

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hún (hun²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄣˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hún
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hún
    • Wade–Giles: hun²
    • Yale: hwún
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hwen
    • Palladius: хунь (xunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ən³⁵/

Definitions

昆

1. Only used in 昆侖／昆仑 (húnlún), alternative form of 渾淪／浑沦

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hùn (hun⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄣˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wan⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hùn
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄣˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hùn
    • Wade–Giles: hun⁴
    • Yale: hwùn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: huenn
    • Palladius: хунь (xunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ən⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wan⁶
    • Yale: wahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wan⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: wen⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐn²²/

Definitions

昆

1. ^† Alternative form of 混 (“to unite”)
2. 54th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "unity" (𝌻)

Etymology 4

trad.		昆
simp. #		昆
alternative forms		坤

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kwan¹

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kwan¹
    • Yale: kwān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kwan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: kuen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷʰɐn⁵⁵/

Definitions

昆

1. (Cantonese) to deceive; to fool

Etymology 5

For pronunciation and definitions of 昆 – see 崑. (This character, 昆, is the simplified and variant traditional form of 崑.)

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

References

• 李學勤，2012《字源》，天津：天津古籍出版社，2013年7月2次印刷
• “昆”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

昆

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. A swarm of or an organism that swarms (e.g. bugs), an organism that forms in large groups (e.g. kombu)
2. elder brother
3. descendants, great-great-great-great grandchild

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: こん (kon, Jōyō)
• Kun: あに (ani, 昆); なかま (nakama); むれ (mure)
• Nanori: ひ (hi); ひで (hide); やす (yasu)

Compounds

Compounds

• 昆虫(こんちゅう) (konchū)
• 昆布(こんぶ) (konbu)
• 昆弟(こんてい) (kontei)
• 昆孫(こんそん) (konson)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 昆 (MC kwon). Recorded as Middle Korean 곤 (kwon) (Yale: kwon) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource

昆 (eumhun 맏형 곤 (macheong gon))

1. Hanja form^? of 곤 (“swarm”).
2. Hanja form^? of 곤 (“the eldest brother”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 곤충 (昆蟲, gonchung)
• 견곤 (堅昆, Gyeon'gon)
• 곤포 (昆布, gonpo)
• 곤손 (昆孫, gonson)

See also

• 곤 (鵾, gon, “swan, among the largest birds”)
• 곤 (猑, gon, “swan, among the largest birds”)
• 곤 (鯤, gon, “dog, a big one”)
• 곤 (混, gon, maybe, Huns or Hünen giants)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

昆: Hán Việt readings: côn
昆: Hán Nôm readings: con, gon

Noun

昆 • (con)

1. Nôm form of con (“child”).