明王

Chinese

		clear; bright; to understand clear; bright; to understand; next; the Ming dynasty	king; Wang (proper name)
simp. and trad. (明王)		明	王

Etymology

From a calque of Sanskrit विद्याराज (vidyārāja, “knowledge king”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): míngwáng

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ming⁴ wong⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): bêng-ông

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: míngwáng
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄤˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: míngwáng
    • Wade–Giles: ming²-wang²
    • Yale: míng-wáng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mingwang
    • Palladius: минван (minvan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ³⁵ wɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ming⁴ wong⁴
    • Yale: mìhng wòhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ming⁴ wong⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ming⁴ wong⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɪŋ²¹ wɔːŋ²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng-ông
    • Tâi-lô: bîng-ông
    • Phofsit Daibuun: beng'oong
    • IPA (Xiamen): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² ɔŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² ɔŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪŋ¹³⁻²² ɔŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ ɔŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³⁻³³ ɔŋ²³/

Noun

明王

1. (literary, honorific) enlightened sage (referring to the monarch)
2. (Buddhism) a Wisdom King in Vajrayana Buddhism

Derived terms

• 不動明王／不动明王 (Bùdòng Míngwáng)
• 大輪明王／大轮明王 (Dàlún Míngwáng)
• 孔雀明王 (Kǒngquè Míngwáng)
• 愛染明王／爱染明王 (Àirǎn Míngwáng)
• 水草馬明王／水草马明王
• 馬明王／马明王

 

Related terms

• 明妃

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (明王):

• → Japanese: 明王(みょうおう) (myōō)
• → Korean: 명왕(明王) (myeong'wang)

Further reading

• Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “明王” in 佛學大辭典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].

Japanese

明王 (myōō): a statue of a Wisdom King, specifically Fudō Myōō.

Kanji in this term
明	王
みょう Grade: 2	おう Grade: 1
on’yomi

Etymology

Buddhist term, imported into Japanese when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, some time during the Kofun, Asuka, and Nara periods.

From Middle Chinese 明王 (*miæng *hiuɑng, literally “wisdom king”), itself a calque of Sanskrit विद्याराज (vidyārāja, “knowledge king”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) みょーお​ー [myòóóꜜò] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [mʲo̞ːo̞ː]

Noun

明(みょう)王(おう) • (myōō) 

1. (religion, Buddhism) a Wisdom King in Vajrayana Buddhism

   Also called a Guardian King.

2. (religion, Buddhism) short for 五大明王 (​Go Dai Myōō), the Five Wisdom Kings
3. (religion, Buddhism) by extension, more specifically refers to 不動明王 (​Fudō Myōō), the central figure of the Five Wisdom Kings
4. (rare) a wise gentleman

Derived terms

• 五大明王 (ごだいみょうおう, ​Go Dai Myōō): the Five Wisdom Kings