靈犀

Chinese

		alert; departed soul; efficacious alert; departed soul; efficacious; quick; effective; intelligence	rhinoceros
trad. (靈犀)		靈	犀
simp. (灵犀)		灵	犀

Etymology

See 心有靈犀一點通／心有灵犀一点通 (xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): língxī

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ling⁴ sai¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: língxī
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: língsi
    • Wade–Giles: ling²-hsi¹
    • Yale: líng-syī
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lingshi
    • Palladius: линси (linsi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liŋ³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ling⁴ sai¹
    • Yale: lìhng sāi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ling⁴ sai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ling⁴ sei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɪŋ²¹ sɐi̯⁵⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: leng sej

Rime
Character	靈	犀
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	青 (125)	齊 (39)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	IV
Fanqie	郎丁切	先稽切
Baxter	leng	sej
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/leŋ/	/sei/
Pan Wuyun	/leŋ/	/sei/
Shao Rongfen	/lɛŋ/	/sɛi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lɛjŋ/	/sɛj/
Li Rong	/leŋ/	/sei/
Wang Li	/lieŋ/	/siei/
Bernard Karlgren	/lieŋ/	/siei/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	líng	xī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ling4	sai1

Noun

靈犀

1. (literally) rhinoceros horn
2. (figurative) meeting of minds; sympathetic response; mutual sensitivity

Derived terms

• 一點靈犀／一点灵犀
• 心有靈犀／心有灵犀 (xīnyǒulíngxī)
• 心有靈犀一點通／心有灵犀一点通 (xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng)
• 靈犀相通／灵犀相通