小

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小 U+5C0F, 小
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5C0F
← 導
[U+5C0E] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 尐 →
[U+5C10]
⼩ U+2F29, ⼩
KANGXI RADICAL SMALL
← ⼨
[U+2F28] 		Kangxi Radicals ⼪ →
[U+2F2A]

Translingual

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Stroke order
3 strokes
Stroke order

Han character

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See images of
Radical 42 小

小 (Kangxi radical 42, 小+0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 弓金 (NC), four-corner 90000, composition ⿻亅八)

  1. Kangxi radical #42, ⼩.
  2. Shuowen Jiezi radical №15

Derived characters

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Further reading

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 296, character 18
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 7473
  • Dae Jaweon: page 587, character 8
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 560, character 12
  • Unihan data for U+5C0F

Chinese

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simp. and trad.
 小
alternative forms 𡮐 ancient

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character 小
Shang Western Zhou Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Qin slip script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Characters in the same phonetic series (小) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
觘 *sm̥ʰreːw, *sm̥ʰreːws
抄 *sm̥ʰreːw, *sm̥ʰreːws
鈔 *sm̥ʰreːw, *sm̥ʰreːws
訬 *sm̥ʰreːw, *mewʔ
炒 *sʰroːʔ
吵 *sm̥ʰreːwʔ, *mewʔ
耖 *sm̥ʰreːws
仯 *sm̥ʰreːws
眇 *mewʔ
渺 *mewʔ
杪 *mewʔ
秒 *mewʔ
篎 *mewʔ, *mews
妙 *mews
玅 *mews
釥 *sm̥ʰewʔ
小 *smewʔ
少 *hmjewʔ, *hmjews
麨 *m̥ʰjewʔ
尠 *senʔ, *smos

Two possible interpretations:

  • Ideogram (指事) – three small dots > small.
  • Pictogram (象形) – three granules of sand – original character of 沙 (OC *sraːl, *sraːls) > small.

Starting from some bronze inscriptions, the dots have become elongated. Based on this form, Shuowen erroneously considers it to be an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 八 (“to divide; to separate”) + 丨 (“small object”).

Compare with 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews), represented by four dots in its oracle bone script form.

Etymology 1

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Often thought to be related to 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews) (e.g. Wang, 1982), but Schuessler (2007) points out that the alternation between Middle Chinese /s-/ and /ɕ-/ within a word family is exceptional.

Pronunciation

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Note:
  • sió - vernacular;
  • siáu - literary.
    • (Teochew)
      • Peng'im: siê2 / sio2 / siao2 / siou2
      • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sié / sió / siáu / sióu
      • Sinological IPA (key): /sie⁵²/, /sio⁵²/, /siau⁵²/, /siou⁵²/
Note:
  • siê2/sio2 - vernacular;
  • siao2/siou2 - literary.
Rime
Character 小
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 心 (16)
Final (韻) 宵 (91)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 私兆切
Baxter sjewX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/siᴇuX/
Pan
Wuyun 		/siɛuX/
Shao
Rongfen 		/sjæuX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/siawX/
Li
Rong 		/siɛuX/
Wang
Li 		/sĭɛuX/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/si̯ɛuX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		xiǎo
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		siu2
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 小
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		xiǎo
Middle
Chinese 		‹ sjewX ›
Old
Chinese 		/*[s]ewʔ/
English small

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 小
Reading # 1/1
No. 13705
Phonetic
component 		小
Rime
group 		宵
Rime
subdivision 		2
Corresponding
MC rime 		小
Old
Chinese 		/*smewʔ/
Notes 甲金文象沙而指小，
指事字

Definitions

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小

  1. small, tiny, little
    小孩  ―  xiǎohái  ―  child
    Antonym: 大
  2. minor, petty
  3. briefly, for a short while
    小憩  ―  xiǎoqì  ―  brief rest
  4. slightly, a little
  5. young
    小狗  ―  xiǎogǒu  ―  puppy
    小貓／小猫  ―  xiǎomāo  ―  kitten
    小羊  ―  xiǎoyáng  ―  lamb
    這嬰兒太小了，不能自己吃東西。 [MSC, trad.]
    这婴儿太小了，不能自己吃东西。 [MSC, simp.]
    Zhè yīng'ér tài xiǎo le, bù néng zìjǐ chī dōngxī. [Pinyin]
    The baby is too young to feed itself.
    Antonym: 老 (lǎo)
  6. (the) youngest
    小兒子／小儿子  ―  xiǎo'érzǐ  ―  youngest son
  7. a young person; child, kid, baby
    一家老小  ―  yījiālǎoxiǎo  ―  the entire family, old and young
  8. Prefix used in front of family name to indicate informality or affection (for young people, 老 (lǎo) for elder people).
    For example, Someone called 李國寶／李国宝 can be called 小李.
  9. (humble) my, our
    小弟  ―  xiǎodì  ―  [humble] I
    小女  ―  xiǎonǚ  ―  [humble] my daughter
    小的  ―  xiǎode  ―  [humble] I
    小姓陳，請多關照。 [MSC, trad.]
    小姓陈，请多关照。 [MSC, simp.]
    Xiǎo xìng Chén, qǐng duō guānzhào. [Pinyin]
    My surname is Chen, nice to meet you.
  10. Short for 小學／小学 (xiǎoxué, “primary school”).
    1. Used in the abbreviation of the name of a primary school.
      二小  ―  Èr Xiǎo  ―  No. 2 Primary School
    2. Used with a number to indicate the level of primary education.
      小一  ―  xiǎoyī  ―  P1 (first year in primary school)
  11. (dialectal) concubine
Synonyms
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Dialectal synonyms of 小 (“small”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 小
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 小
Taiwan 小
Harbin 小
Malaysia 小
Singapore 小
Jilu Mandarin Tianjin 小
Jinan 小
Central Plains Mandarin Wanrong 小
Xi'an 小, 碎
Xining 小, 尕
Xuzhou 小
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 小
Ürümqi 小, 尕
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 小
Wuhan 小
Guiyang 小
Guilin 小
Liuzhou 小
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 小
Yangzhou 小
Hefei 小
Cantonese Guangzhou 細
Hong Kong 細
Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) 細
Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou) 細
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 細
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 細
Macau 細
Guangzhou (Panyu) 細
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 細
Guangzhou (Conghua) 細
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 細
Foshan 細
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 細
Foshan (Shunde) 細
Foshan (Sanshui) 細
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 細
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 細
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) 細
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) 細
Zhuhai (Doumen) 細
Jiangmen (Baisha) 細
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 細
Taishan 細
Kaiping (Chikan) 細
Enping (Niujiang) 細
Heshan (Yayao) 細
Dongguan 細
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 細
Qingyuan 細
Fogang 細
Yingde (Hanguang) 細
Yangshan 細
Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui) 細
Shaoguan 細
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 細
Renhua 細
Lechang 細
Zhaoqing (Gaoyao) 細
Sihui 細
Guangning 細
Deqing 細
Huaiji 細
Yunfu 細
Xinxing 細
Luoding 細
Yunan (Pingtai) 細
Yangjiang 細
Xinyi 細
Maoming (Xinpo) 細
Lianjiang 細
Nanning 細
Wuzhou 細, 𱒃
Yulin 𱒃
Hepu (Lianzhou) 𱒃
Hepu (Shatian) 𱒃
Guiping 細, 小
Guiping (Mule) 𱒃
Pingnan 細
Mengshan (Xihe) 細
Guigang (Gangcheng) 細
Guigang (Nanjiang) 細
Guigang (Pingdong) 細
Beiliu (Tangliao) 細
Baise 細
Bobai 細
Lingshan 細
Pubei 細
Qinzhou 細
Qinzhou (Xiniujiao) 𱒃
Beihai 細
Beihai (Nankang) 細
Beihai (Yingpan) 𱒃
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) 細
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà) 細, 小
Ningming 細
Hengzhou 細
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) 細
Danzhou 細
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 細
Singapore (Guangfu) 細
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) 細
Móng Cái 細
Gan Nanchang 細, 小
Lichuan 細, 小
Pingxiang 細, 小
Hakka Meixian 細, 小
Xingning 細
Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua) 細
Huiyang 細
Huidong (Daling) 細
Dongguan (Qingxi) 細
Boluo (Bendihua) 細
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 細
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 小
Heyuan (Bendihua) 細
Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua) 細
Heping (Linzhai Bendihua) 細
Lianping (Longjie Bendihua) 細
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 細
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 細
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) 細
Jiexi 細
Changting 細
Wuping 細
Wuping (Pingyu) 細
Liancheng 細
Ninghua 小
Yudu 細
Ruijin 細
Shicheng 細
Shangyou (Shexi) 細
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 細
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 細
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 細
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 細
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 細
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 細
Hong Kong 細
Beiliu (Tang'an) 小
Mashan (Pianlian) 細
Senai (Huiyang) 細
Huizhou Jixi 小
Jin Taiyuan 小
Northern Min Jian'ou 小
Eastern Min Fuzhou 嫩, 細
Fuzhou (Changle) 嫩
Fuqing 嫩
Yongtai 嫩
Gutian 嫩
Fu'an 嫩
Ningde 嫩
Shouning 嫩
Zhouning 細
Fuding 嫩, 細
Matsu 嫩
Southern Min Xiamen 細
Xiamen (Tong'an) 細
Quanzhou 細
Jinjiang 細
Nan'an 細
Hui'an 細
Anxi 細
Yongchun 細
Dehua 細
Zhangzhou 細
Zhangzhou (Longhai) 細
Zhangzhou (Changtai) 細
Hua'an 細
Nanjing 細
Pinghe 細
Zhangpu 細
Yunxiao 細
Zhao'an 細
Dongshan 細
Taipei 小, 細
New Taipei (Sanxia) 小, 細
Kaohsiung 小, 細
Yilan 小, 細
Changhua (Lukang) 小, 細
Taichung 小, 細
Tainan 小, 細
Hsinchu 小, 細
Kinmen 小
Penghu (Magong) 小
Penang (Hokkien) 細
Singapore (Hokkien) 細
Manila (Hokkien) 細
Zhangping (Yongfu) 細
Pingnan (Shangdu) 小
Chaozhou 細
Shantou 細
Shantou (Chenghai) 細
Shantou (Chaoyang) 細
Jieyang 細
Haifeng 細
Bangkok (Teochew) 細
Johor Bahru (Teochew) 細
Singapore (Teochew) 細
Batam (Teochew) 細
Pontianak (Teochew) 細
Leizhou 細
Wenchang 細, 孧
Haikou 細, 孧
Qionghai 孧
Singapore (Hainanese) 孧, 細
Puxian Min Putian 細
Xianyou 細
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 細
Nanning (Shajing) 細
Binyang (Xinqiao) 細
Northern Pinghua Guilin (Chaoyang) 細
Guilin (Zhuyuan) 細
Lingchuan (Tanxia) 細
Wu Shanghai 小
Shanghai (Chongming) 小
Suzhou 小
Danyang 小
Hangzhou 小
Ningbo 小
Wenzhou 小, 瑣
Lishui 細
Jinyun 巧
Jinhua 小
Xiang Changsha 細, 小
Loudi 小
Shuangfeng 細
Quanzhou 小
Guanyang (Wenshi) 小
Dialectal synonyms of 妾 (“concubine”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 妾, 姬, 媵, 妾媵, 媵妾, 侍妾, 姬妾, 側室, 偏室, 姑娘
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 妾, 偏房
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 小太太兒, 小婆婆兒, 小奶奶兒, 小的兒, 屋兒裡人
Taiwan 小老婆, 姨太太
Harbin 小老婆
Singapore 小老婆
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 小老婆
Jiaoliao Mandarin Yantai (Muping) 小老婆兒, 小婆子
Central Plains Mandarin Luoyang 小老婆兒
Wanrong 小婆子
Xi'an 小婆子, 小
Xuzhou 小的兒, 小的, 小兒, 小點子, 小婆兒, 小婆子, 庶夫人
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 小老婆, 小
Lanzhou 小老婆
Ürümqi 小老婆
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 小老婆, 小婆子
Wuhan 小堂客, 小, 姨太太
Guiyang 小婆娘, 姨太太
Liuzhou 小的, 小, 小老婆, 小婆
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 小老婆
Cantonese Guangzhou 細婆, 妾侍
Hong Kong 細婆, 妾侍
Dongguan 細婆
Gan Nanchang 小老婆, 小
Lichuan 小婆
Pingxiang 小老婆, 小婆子
Hakka Meixian 小婆
Yudu 小老婆
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 細姐, 細婆, 偏房
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 細姆, 細姐仔, 細婆, 偏房
Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian) 細姆
Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian) 細姐仔
Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian) 細姐仔
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 細姐, 細婆, 偏房
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 細姐, 細姨, 偏房
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 細姐, 細婆, 偏房
Miaoli (Zhuolan; Raoping) 細姐, 細婆, 偏房
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 細姐, 細姨, 偏房
Huizhou Jixi 細老嫗
Jin Taiyuan 小老婆, 姨娘, 姨太太
Xinzhou 小婆子
Northern Min Jian'ou 小嬤
Eastern Min Fuzhou 細婆 non-face-to-face, 細姐 face-to-face, 姨太 older, 姑娘 younger, face to face
Southern Min Xiamen 細姨
Quanzhou 細姨
Jinjiang 細姨
Zhangzhou 細姨
Taipei 細姨
New Taipei (Sanxia) 細姨
Kaohsiung 細姨
Yilan 細姨
Changhua (Lukang) 細姨
Taichung 細姨
Tainan 細姨
Hsinchu 細姨
Kinmen 細姨
Penghu (Magong) 細姨
Manila (Hokkien) 細姨
Leizhou 細娘
Haikou 細姩, 細老婆, 孧老婆, 細
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 細婆
Wu Shanghai 小老媽, 小老婆, 小娘子, 偏房
Shanghai (Chongming) 小老婆, 小老官, 姨太太
Suzhou 小老媽
Danyang 小老媽
Hangzhou 小老婆
Ningbo 小老𡢿
Wenzhou 姨娘, 姨娘兒
Jinhua 小老婆, 小婆
Xiang Changsha 小婆子, 小堂客
Loudi 小

Compounds

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Descendants

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Sino-Xenic (小):
  • → Japanese: 小(しょう) (shō)
  • → Korean: 소(小) (so)
  • → Vietnamese: tiểu (小)

Etymology 2

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Pronunciation

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Definitions

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小

  1. (Cantonese, minced oath) A euphemism of 屌 (“to fuck”).
    小你！ [Guangzhou Cantonese]  ―  siu2 nei5! [Jyutping]  ―  Duck you!

Etymology 3

[edit]

Pronunciation

[edit]

Definitions

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小

  1. (chiefly Taiwan, vulgar) Alternative form of 潲 (shào, “siâu”), chiefly used in 三小 (sānxiǎo).

References

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Japanese

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Kanji

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小

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

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Compounds

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Compounds

See also

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Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
小
しょう
Grade: 1
on'yomi

/seu/ → /ɕeu/ → /ɕoː/

From Middle Chinese 小 (MC sjewX).

The suffix sense is a clipping of 小学校 (shōgakkō, “elementary school”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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小(しょう) • (shō) ←せう (seu)?

  1. smallness; small size, small (sometimes used as an abbreviation for small serving, etc.)
  2. Short for 小の月 (shō no tsuki).
  3. (historical) during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, a unit of field area equal to around 400 square metres (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
    100 square footsteps before the Taikō land survey, and 120 square footsteps after
Antonyms
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Derived terms
[edit]
Idioms
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Coordinate terms
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  • (historical unit):
    • 大(だい) (dai, 200/240 square footsteps)
    • 半(はん) (han, 150/180 square footsteps; about 595.8m2)
    • 小(しょう) (shō, 100/120 square footsteps; about 400m2)

Prefix

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小(しょう) • (shō-) ←せう (seu-)?

  1. small, little

Suffix

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小(しょう) • (-shō) ←せう (-seu)?

  1. suffix after names of elementary schools
    佃(つくだ)小(しょう)
    tsukuda-shō
    Tsukuda Elementary School

Proper noun

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小(しょう) • (Shō) ←せう (Seu)?

  1. a surname

Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
小
こ
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

/ko1/ → /ko/

From the Old Japanese stem こ (ko-). Cognate with 子 (ko, “child”).

Prefix

[edit]

小(こ) • (ko-) 

  1. less in size or quantity, small, little, short
  2. less in intensity, small, light, slight
  3. of secondary importance, secondary, sub-
  4. infant
Derived terms
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Derived terms
[edit]
Related terms

Etymology 3

[edit]
Kanji in this term
小
お
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

/wo/ → /o/

From the Old Japanese stem を (wo-), modern お (o-).

Prefix

[edit]

小(お) • (o-) ←を (wo-)?

  1. attached to certain nouns:
    1. small in shape or scale
      小川 (ogawa, “creek”, literally "small river")
      小舟 (obune, “small boat”)
    2. attached to certain names to give expression or feelings (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
      小田 (Oda, literally, "small rice paddy")
      小野 (Ono, literally, "small field")
  2. used proverbially to represent "small" or "slight" (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
    小止みなく降る雨 (oyaminaku furu ame)
    小暗い道 (ogurai michi)
Derived terms
[edit]
Derived terms

Etymology 4

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Kanji in this term
小
ささ
Grade: 1
kun'yomi
Kanji in this term
小
さざ
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

From the Old Japanese stem ささ (sasa-), found in terms such as 笹 (sasa, “bamboo grass”), 囁く (sasayaku, “to whisper”), and 些か (isasaka, “a little”), all related to small or slight.

Saza appears to be a later derivation from sasa.

Alternative forms

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Prefix

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小(ささ) or 小(さざ) • (sasa- or saza-) 

  1. attached to certain nouns to mean:
    1. small
    2. fine
    3. slight
Derived terms
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

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Etymology

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From Middle Chinese 小 (MC sjewX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 쇼ᇢ〯 (Yale: sywǒw)
Middle Korean
Text Eumhun
Gloss (hun) Reading
Sinjeung Yuhap, 1576 자ᄀᆞᆯ (Yale: cakol) 쇼 (Yale: sywo)

Pronunciation

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  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [sʰo̞(ː)]
  • Phonetic hangul: [소(ː)]
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

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Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

小 (eumhun 작을 소 (jageul so))

  1. Hanja form? of 소 (“smallness; small things”).

Compounds

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Compounds

References

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  • 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

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Han character

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小: Hán Việt readings: tiểu[1][2][3]
小: Nôm readings: tiểu[1][2][3][4], tẻo[1][3], tĩu[3]

  1. (only before noun) Chữ Hán form of tiểu (“small”).

Compounds

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nguyễn (2014).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Trần (2004).
  4. ^ Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
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