義理

See also: 义理

Chinese

		justice; righteousness; meaning	to manage; to heed; to put in order to manage; to heed; to put in order; reason; logic; science; inner principle or structure
trad. (義理)		義	理
simp. (义理)		义	理

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yìlǐ

(Zhuyin): ㄧˋ ㄌㄧˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ji⁶ lei⁵
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gi⁵ li³
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): gī-lí

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yìlǐ
  - Zhuyin: ㄧˋ ㄌㄧˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yìlǐ
  - Wade–Giles: i⁴-li³
  - Yale: yì-lǐ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yihlii
  - Palladius: или (ili)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: ji⁶ lei⁵
  - Yale: yih léih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ji⁶ lei⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: yi⁶ léi⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː²² lei̯¹³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gi⁵ li³
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gī-lî
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ki¹¹ li⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gi⁵ li³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ki²¹ li³³²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gī-lí
  - Tâi-lô: gī-lí
  - Phofsit Daibuun: gixlie
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡi³³⁻²¹ li⁴¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /ɡi²²⁻²¹ li⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /ɡi³³⁻¹¹ li⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡi⁴¹⁻²² li⁵⁵⁴/

Noun

義理

point; reasoning; argument (for a speech, essay, text, etc.)
philosophical or religious doctrine
(literary) meaning and principle

Related terms

理致 (lǐzhì)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
義	理
ぎ Grade: 5	り Grade: 2
on'yomi

義理 on Japanese Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 義理 (MC ngjeH liX).

Originally, in Middle Chinese and early Japanese attestations, the term carried a philosophical and textual meaning of “righteous principle”, “reason”, or “significance”. During the Muromachi and Edo periods, under the influence of a stratified feudal society, samurai ethics, and the merchant class, the concept underwent semantic narrowing in Japan. The “correct path” shifted to refer specifically to the reciprocal behavioral norms, social debts, and favors expected between individuals in a hierarchical community. This transformed the philosophical concept into a localized social contract and “burden of obligation”, famously contrasting with 人情 (ninjō, “human feeling”). This specialized sense developed entirely internally within Japan.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɡʲiɾʲi]
(Tokyo) ぎり [gìríꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[1]^[2]^[3]

(Kyōto) ぎり (Kōki)
(historical, Edo) ●○ (ぎり)

Noun

義(ぎ)理(り) • (giri)

duty, obligation, burden of obligation
- c. 1336–1392, Soga Monogatari:
  善き侍の振舞、弓矢のぎり、これにしかじと、惜しまぬ者はなかりけり
  Thinking that nothing could surpass this as the conduct of a good warrior and the duty of the bow and arrow, there was no one who did not mourn him.
(specifically) a formality; actions or words performed reluctantly out of mere social obligation
- 1801, Ōta Nanpo, letter possibly addressed to Ōta Sadakichi:
  旅館中之義理有之、贈答に困り申候。錦絵、団扇、東遊などにて俗人の義理を防ぎ申候
  There being social obligations within the inn, I am troubled by the exchanging of gifts. I fend off the formalities of the common folk with woodblock prints, round fans, and copies of Azuma Asobi.
a non‐blood relation considered like a blood relation; ‐in‐law or step-
- 1807–1811, Kyokutei Bakin, Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki:
  王女（わんにょ）は今義理（ギリ）ある子に非れば、しかせんと思ふなり…
  As the princess is not currently a child by step‐relation, I intend to do so...
義理(ぎり)の息子(むすこ) ― giri no musuko ― son‐in‐law or stepson

義理(ぎり)の妹(いもうと) ― giri no imōto ― (little) sister‐in‐law or stepsister
(obsolete) the correct path or way; reason; logic
- 1283, Mujū, Shasekishū:
  護法が利口、正法也（より）仏法の分量の義理（ギリ）をふくめり
  The eloquence of the guardian deity encompasses the logic of the Buddha’s teachings drawn from the True Dharma.
(obsolete) the meaning or reason behind words; significance
- 718, Ryō no Gige:
  皆挙経文及注為問。其答者。皆須弁明義理。然後為通
  All shall pose questions from the classic texts and their commentaries. Those who answer must in all cases clarify the meaning. Only then shall they pass.

Derived terms

お義(ぎ)理(り) (ogiri)
義(ぎ)理(り)人(にん)情(じょう) (girininjō)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (2016), NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 [New NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
^ Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2020), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Eighth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

“義理”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026
“義理”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[2] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here

Korean

Hanja in this term
義	理

Noun

義理 • (uiri) (hangeul 의리)

hanja form^? of 의리 (“loyalty; fidelity”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
義	理

Noun

義理

chữ Hán form of nghĩa lí (“meaning and principle”)

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK16-2] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (2016), NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 [New NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[SMK8-3] Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2020), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Eighth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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