雁

See also: 鳫 and 䧹

雁 U+96C1, 雁 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-96C1 ← 雀 [U+96C0] CJK Unified Ideographs 雂 → [U+96C2]

Translingual

Han character

雁 (Kangxi radical 172, 隹+4, 12 strokes, cangjie input 一人人土 (MOOG), four-corner 7121₄, composition ⿸厂倠)

Derived characters

• 贋/赝, 㷳, 𮘻, 𤎝, 𤏚, 𬒡, 軅, 𪆒

References

• KangXi: page 1364, character 24
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 41960
• Dae Jaweon: page 1868, character 22
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 4093, character 2
• Unihan data for U+96C1

Chinese

trad.		雁/鴈
simp.		雁
alternative forms		鳫

Glyph origin

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

	Old Chinese
雁	*ŋraːns
鳫	*ŋraːns
鴈	*ŋraːns
贗	*ŋraːns

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *ŋraːns): phonetic 厂 (OC *hŋaːnʔ, *hŋaːns) + semantic 人 + semantic 隹.

Etymology

Either from 鵝 (OC *ŋaːl) with nominalizing suffix *-n; or both 鵝 (OC *ŋaːl) and 雁 (OC *ŋraːns) reflect an earlier liquid final *-l or *-r (Schuessler, 2007).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋa-n (“goose”), cognate with Tibetan ངང་པ (ngang pa), Burmese ငန်း (ngan:).

On resonants' correspondence among Burmese, Tibetan and Chinese, see Hill (2014).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): yàn (yan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˋ

  (Chengdu, SP): yan⁴

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ngaan⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngan⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): ngang⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ngien / ngian

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ngian⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): ie³
• Min Bei (KCR): ngāing
• Min Dong (BUC): ngâng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): gān

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ngang⁶

• Wu (Wiktionary): ³nge; ²i
• Xiang (Wiktionary): ngan⁴ / ngai⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yàn
    • Wade–Giles: yen⁴
    • Yale: yàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yann
    • Palladius: янь (janʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: yan⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ian
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iɛn²¹³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ngaan⁶
    • Yale: ngaahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngaan⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngan⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaːn²²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngan⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡan³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ngang⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaŋ¹¹/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngien
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngien
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngian⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ɲi̯en⁵⁵/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngian
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngian
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngian⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ɲi̯an⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ngian⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ɲian⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ie³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ie⁴⁵/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ngāing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaiŋ⁵⁵/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ngâng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɑŋ²⁴²/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gān
    • Tâi-lô: gān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: gan
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ɡan²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡan⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡan²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ɡan³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡan³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ngang⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ngăng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaŋ³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: ³nge; ²i
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋe̞²³/, /i³⁴/

Note:

• 3nge - vernacular;
• 2i - literary.

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: ngan⁴ / ngai⁵
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋan⁴⁵/, /ŋai²¹/

Note: ngai5 - only in 雁鵝.

---

• Middle Chinese: /ŋˠanH/

Rime
Character	雁
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	刪 (69)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	五晏切
Baxter	ngaenH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋˠanH/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋᵚanH/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋɐnH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋaɨnH/
Li Rong	/ŋanH/
Wang Li	/ŋanH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋanH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngaan6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.[ŋ]ˤrar-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋraːns/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	雁
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yàn
Middle Chinese	‹ ngænH ›
Old Chinese	/*C.[ŋ]ˁrar-s/
English	wild goose
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	雁
Reading #	1/1
No.	14436
Phonetic component	雁
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	鴈
Old Chinese	/*ŋraːns/
Notes	說文廠聲

Definitions

雁

1. wild goose (as opposed to a domesticated goose – 鵝／鹅 (é))
2. ^† Synonym of 鵝／鹅 (é).

   • 故人喜，命豎子殺雁而烹之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     故人喜，命竖子杀雁而烹之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Gùrén xǐ, mìng shùzǐ shā yàn ér pēng zhī. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

3. ^† Alternative form of 贗／赝 (yàn, “fake; false”).

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 大雁 (“swan goose”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		鴻雁, 鴻
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		大雁, 鴻雁
Mandarin	Harbin	大雁
	Yantai (Muping)	老雁
	Jinan	大雁, 雁
	Luoyang	大雁, 雁
	Wanrong	雁
	Xi'an	大雁
	Yinchuan	雁
	Xining	咕嚕雁, 雁兒
	Ürümqi	大雁
	Wuhan	雁
	Chengdu	大雁, 雁鵝
	Guiyang	雁鵝
	Guilin	大雁
	Liuzhou	大雁
	Xuzhou	大雁
	Yangzhou	大雁
	Nanjing	雁子, 大雁子
	Mae Salong (Lancang)	大雁
	Mae Sai (Tengchong)	大雁
Cantonese	Dongguan	雁鵝, 雁
	Beihai	雁
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	大雁
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	大雁
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	雁
	Móng Cái	雁鵝
Gan	Nanchang	雁鵝
	Lichuan	雁
	Pingxiang	雁鵝
Hakka	Meixian	雁鵝
	Yudu	雁鵝
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	雁
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	雁
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	雁
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	雁
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	雁
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	雁
Huizhou	Jixi	雁
Jin	Taiyuan	大雁
	Xinzhou	雁兒
Min Dong	Fuzhou	雁
Min Nan	Leizhou	雁鳥, 鵠鶴
	Haikou	雁鳥
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	雁
Wu	Shanghai	大雁, 雁鵝
	Danyang	雁
	Hangzhou	雁鵝
	Ningbo	雁鵝
	Zhoushan	雁鵝
Xiang	Changsha	雁子, 雁鵝
	Loudi	雁, 雁阿

Compounds

• 大雁 (dàyàn)
• 大雁塔
• 奠雁
• 孔雁
• 平沙落雁
• 木雁
• 空弦落雁
• 豆雁
• 雁塔
• 雁奴
• 雁字
• 雁帛
• 雁序
• 雁形目
• 雁柱
• 雁皮
• 雁翅
• 雁翎刀 (yànlíngdāo)
• 雁行

• 雁行折翼
• 雁足
• 名標雁塔／名标雁塔
• 指雁為羹／指雁为羹
• 斷雁孤鴻／断雁孤鸿
• 沉魚落雁／沉鱼落雁 (chényúluòyàn)
• 燕雁代飛／燕雁代飞
• 白額雁／白额雁
• 落雁沉魚／落雁沉鱼
• 蠶頭雁尾／蚕头雁尾
• 衡陽雁去／衡阳雁去
• 雁來紅／雁来红 (yànláihóng)
• 雁去魚來／雁去鱼来
• 雁塔題名／雁塔题名
• 雁幣／雁币
• 雁影分飛／雁影分飞
• 雁戶／雁户
• 雁書／雁书
• 雁杳魚沉／雁杳鱼沉 (yànyǎoyúchén)

• 雁蕩山／雁荡山 (Yàndàngshān)
• 雁足傳書／雁足传书
• 雁門關／雁门关 (Yànménguān)
• 雁陣／雁阵 (yànzhèn)
• 雁鴨科／雁鸭科
• 雁齒／雁齿
• 頭雁／头雁
• 魚沉雁杳／鱼沉雁杳 (yúchényànyǎo)
• 魚沉雁渺／鱼沉雁渺
• 魚沉雁落／鱼沉雁落
• 魚雁／鱼雁
• 魚雁不絕／鱼雁不绝
• 魚雁沉沉／鱼雁沉沉
• 鳧雁／凫雁
• 鴻雁／鸿雁 (hóngyàn)
• 鴻雁傳書／鸿雁传书 (hóngyànchuánshū)
• 鴻雁哀鳴／鸿雁哀鸣 (hóngyàn'āimíng)
• 鴻雁河／鸿雁河 (Hóngyànhé)
• 鵰心雁爪／雕心雁爪

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (雁):

• → Japanese: 雁(がん) (gan)
• → Vietnamese: nhạn (雁)

Others:

• → Vietnamese: ngan (鴳)

References

• “雁”, 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

雁

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

1. wild goose

Readings

• Go-on: げん (gen)
• Kan-on: がん (gan)
• Kun: かり (kari, 雁)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
雁
がん Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
鴈

From Middle Chinese 雁 (ngæn^H, “wild goose”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) が​ん [gáꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɡã̠ɴ]

Noun

雁(がん) • (gan) 

1. wild goose

Usage notes

• As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 雁首(がんくび) (gankubi) bowl (part of a pipe); human neck or head

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
雁
かり Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

Said to be from the cry of a wild goose.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) か​り [káꜜrì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾʲi]

Noun

雁(かり) • (kari) 

1. wild goose
2. cry of a wild goose

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 雁首(かりくび) (karikubi) goose's neck, something resembling a goose's neck; corona (circumference of the base of the glans penis in human males)

Korean

Hanja

雁 (eumhun 기러기 안 (gireogi an))

1. wild goose, whose skein flies in wedge or cuneiform, in contrast with 鵝 (거위 아, geowi-a), the domestic goose that would not fly at all.

Compounds

• 家雁 (가안, ga-an) domestic goose, literally, house goose.

See also

• 鵝 (거위 아, geowi-a) domesticated goose ^
• 鵠 (고니 곡, goni-gok) swan
• 鳧 (물오리 부, mur-ori-bu) mallard
• 鷺 (해오리 로, hae-ori-ro) heron, egret
• 鶴 (두루미 학, durumi-hak) crane
• 鸛 (한새 관, han-sae-gwan) stork, literally, "big bird"
• 鸛 (황새 관, hwang-sae-gwan) stork, literally, "big bird"

Vietnamese

Han character

雁: Hán Nôm readings: nhạn

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