商人

Chinese

		commerce; consult	man; person; people
trad. (商人)		商	人
simp. #(商人)		商	人

Etymology

person of the Shang dynasty

Attested earliest in Book of Documents:

• 自古商人亦越我周文王立政，立事、牧夫、準人，則克宅之，克由繹之，茲乃俾乂。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

  ---

  自古商人亦越我周文王立政，立事、牧夫、准人，则克宅之，克由绎之，兹乃俾乂。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: The Book of Documents, circa 7^th – 4^th centuries BCE

  Zìgǔ Shāngrén yì yuè wǒ Zhōu Wénwáng lìzhèng, lìshì, mùfū, zhǔnrén, zé kè zhái zhī, kè yóu yì zhī, zī nǎi bǐ yì. [Pinyin]

  From ancient times the men of Shang, as also our King Wen of the Zhou dynasty, in establishing government and settling affairs, (appointed) superintendents and comptrollers, whom they established in office, and were able to cultivate their good qualities, and thus arrange the government (of the country).

merchant, trader

From Zuozhuan ("Xi 33" [1] & "Zhao 16" [2])

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shāngrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄤ ㄖㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): soeng¹ jan⁴
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): siong-lîn / siong-jîn / siang-jîn

  (Teochew, Peng'im): siang¹ ring⁵

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹saon-gnin

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shāngrén
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄤ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shangrén
    • Wade–Giles: shang¹-jên²
    • Yale: shāng-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shangren
    • Palladius: шанжэнь (šanžɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 傷人／伤人 商人

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: soeng¹ jan⁴
    • Yale: sēung yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: soeng¹ jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: sêng¹ yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sœːŋ⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 商人 雙人／双人

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Taipei, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siong-lîn
    • Tâi-lô: siong-lîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siongliin
    • IPA (Taipei): /siɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ lin²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /siɔŋ³³ lin²⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /siɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² lin²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siong-jîn
    • Tâi-lô: siong-jîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siongjiin
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ zin²³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siang-jîn
    • Tâi-lô: siang-jîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siangjiin
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /siaŋ⁴⁴⁻²² d͡zin¹³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: siang¹ ring⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: siang jîng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siaŋ³³⁻²³ d͡ziŋ⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ¹saon-gnin
    • MiniDict: saon^平 nyin
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹saan-nyin
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sɑ̃⁵⁵ n̠ʲin²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: syang nyin

Rime
Character	商	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	書 (26)	日 (38)
Final (韻)	陽 (105)	眞 (43)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	式羊切	如鄰切
Baxter	syang	nyin
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɕɨɐŋ/	/ȵiɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/ɕiɐŋ/	/ȵin/
Shao Rongfen	/ɕiɑŋ/	/ȵʑjen/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɕɨaŋ/	/ȵin/
Li Rong	/ɕiaŋ/	/ȵiĕn/
Wang Li	/ɕĭaŋ/	/ȵʑĭĕn/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɕi̯aŋ/	/ȵʑi̯ĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shāng	rén
Expected Cantonese Reflex	soeng1	jan4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*s-taŋ  ni[ŋ]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*hljaŋ  njin/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	商	商	商	人
Reading #	1/3	2/3	3/3	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shāng	shāng	shāng	rén
Middle Chinese	‹ syang ›	‹ syang ›	‹ syang ›	‹ nyin ›
Old Chinese	/*s-taŋ/	/*s-taŋ/	/*s-taŋ/	/*ni[ŋ]/
English	musical note	(place name)	estimate; business; trader	(other) person
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	商	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	11097	10800
Phonetic component	商	人
Rime group	陽	眞
Rime subdivision	0	1
Corresponding MC rime	商	仁
Old Chinese	/*hljaŋ/	/*njin/

Noun

商人

1. merchant; businessperson

   印度商人  ―  Yìndù shāngrén  ―  Indian merchants

   • 其商人通賈，倍道兼行，夜以續日，千里而不遠者，利在前也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     其商人通贾，倍道兼行，夜以续日，千里而不远者，利在前也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Guanzi, 5^th century BCE to 220 CE

     Qí shāngrén tōnggǔ, bèidào jiānxíng, yè yǐ xù rì, qiānlǐ ér bùyuǎn zhě, lì zài qián yě. [Pinyin]

     When the merchant engages in trade and travels twice the ordinary distance in a day, uses the night to extend the day, and covers a thousand li without considering it too far, it is because profits lies ahead.

2. person of the Shang dynasty

   • 故商者，五帝之遺聲也。商人識之，故謂之商。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     故商者，五帝之遗声也。商人识之，故谓之商。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Gù shāng zhě, wǔdì zhī yíshēng yě. Shāngrén shí zhī, gù wèi zhī shāng. [Pinyin]

     What are called the Shang were the airs and words transmitted from the five Thearchs; and having been remembered by the people of Shang, we call them the Shang.

Synonyms

• (merchant):

• 商民 (shāngmín) (formal)
• 生意人 (shēngyirén)
• 生意佬 (saang¹ ji³ lou², “businessman”) (Cantonese)
• 生理人 (Hakka, Hokkien)
• 老客 (lǎokè) (literary)
• 賈人／贾人 (gǔrén) (literary)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (商人):

• → Japanese: 商(しょう)人(にん) (shōnin)
• → Korean: 상인(商人) (sang'in)
• → Vietnamese: thương nhân (商人)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
商	人
しょう Grade: 3	にん Grade: 1
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 商人 (MC syang nyin).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しょ​ーにん [shóꜜònìǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ːɲ̟ĩɴ]

Noun

商(しょう)人(にん) • (shōnin) ^{←しやうにん (syaunin)?}

1. trader, shopkeeper, merchant

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
商	人
あき Grade: 3	びと > んど Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Shift from あきびと (akibito).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あき​んど [àkíꜜǹdò] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [a̠kʲĩndo̞]

Noun

商(あき)人(んど) • (akindo) 

1. trader, tradesperson, merchant

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
商	人
あきゅうど
Grade: 3	Grade: 1
irregular

Shift from あきびと (akibito).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あきゅ​うど [àkyúꜜùdò] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [a̠kʲɨᵝːdo̞]

Noun

商人(あきゅうど) • (akyūdo) ^{←あきうど (akiudo)?}

1. trader, tradesperson, merchant

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
商	人
あき Grade: 3	びと Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Superficially あき (aki, “trade”) +‎ ひと (hito, “person”). Possibly Old Japanese.

Aki can also be found as the root of あきなう (akinau, “to trade”).

Noun

商(あき)人(びと) • (akibito) 

1. trader, tradesperson, merchant

Korean

Hanja in this term
商	人

Noun

商人 • (sang'in) (hangeul 상인)

1. Hanja form^? of 상인 (“trader, merchant”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
商	人

Noun

商人

1. chữ Hán form of thương nhân (“businessman; merchant; trader”).