命

命 U+547D, 命 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-547D ← 呼 [U+547C] CJK Unified Ideographs 呾 → [U+547E]

Stroke order

命 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 人一口中 (OMRL), four-corner 8062₇, composition ⿱亼叩 or ⿹令口)

• 掵, 椧, 㥐
• 𠊈, 𠵴, 𦁸, 𨉟, 𦅫, 𩸍, 𪵍, 𪂤, 𥮡, 𡇳
• 𭝕, 𭰷, 𬍱, 𬔣, 𬫦, 𫾽

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 183, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3473
• Dae Jaweon: page 402, character 15
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 604, character 11
• Unihan data for U+547D

simp. and trad.		命
alternative forms		𠇮 𫝇

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mreŋs) : semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 令 (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs). Doublet of 呤 (OC *reːŋ).

Related to 令 (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs, “to order; to command; order”) (Wang, 1982). Both may be derived from 名 (OC *meŋ, “name”): “name” (名) > “to name; to give (a name to)” (命) > “to order; to command” > “order; command” > “destiny; fate; lot” > “life” (Schuessler, 2007).

命

1. life; existence; state of living (Classifier: 條／条 m c)
2. lifespan; life expectancy
3. destiny; fate; luck
4. order; command; instruction
5. to order; to command
6. to give (a title, name to); to name

• (life): 生命 (shēngmìng)

• 生活 (shēnghuó, “(personal aspects of) life”)

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

• Go-on: みょう (myō, Jōyō)^{←みやう (myau, historical)}
• Kan-on: めい (mei, Jōyō)
• Kun: いのち (inochi, 命, Jōyō)、みこと (mikoto, 命)

Kanji in this term
命
いのち Grade: 3
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *inəti. Probably a compound of Old Japanese elements 息 (i, “breath”, i in compounds, iki on its own) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 霊 (chi, “spirit, force, soul”).

Some analyses describe this as a compound using 生 (i, “life, breath”, i in compounds, iki on its own) as the initial semantic element. This is equally valid, as 息 (iki) and 生き (iki) are cognates.

• (Tokyo) いのち [íꜜnòchì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [ino̞t͡ɕi]

命(いのち) • (inochi) 

1. life

   命(いのち)の恩(おん)人(じん)

   inochi no onjin

   person to whom one owes their life

2. lifespan
3. lifetime
4. fate, destiny
5. (figuratively) the most important part or aspect of a thing

命 as "life" is distinct from several other Japanese words that may also be translated to English as "life". In particular, it means "the state of being alive, an animating force, or life as a whole (from birth to death)". Compare the terms below, which may also be rendered as "life" in English:

• 生活 (seikatsu, “life”): Day-to-day life as it is experienced; lifestyle; one's usual activities, habits, and routines.
• 生存 (seizon, “life”): Action involved in staying alive, as in "signs of life".
• 生命 (seimei, “life”): Biological life in general, particularly in scientific contexts.
• 存在 (sonzai, “life”): Being; either the state of existing or a thing that exists.
• 人生 (jinsei, “life”): A person's narrative, experience, and/or accomplishments from birth to death.
• 寿命 (jumyō, “life”): Lifespan or life expectancy.
• 残機 (zanki, “life”): A video-game life; a chance to play.
• 元気 (genki, “life”): Liveliness.

• (life): 生(せい)命(めい) (seimei)
• (lifespan): 寿(じゅ)命(みょう) (jumyō)
• (lifetime): 生(しょう)涯(がい) (shōgai), 一(いっ)生(しょう) (isshō)
• (fate): 運(うん)命(めい) (unmei)
• (destiny): 天(てん)命(めい) (tenmei)
• (core aspect): 真(しん)髄(ずい) (shinzui)

Kanji in this term
命
みこと Grade: 3
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Compound of 御 (mi-, honorific prefix) +‎ 言 (koto, “word”).^[2] The mi prefix is generally limited to extremely high-status contexts such as gods or emperors.

• 御(み)言(こと) (mikoto)

• (Tokyo) みこと [mìkótó] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [mʲiko̞to̞]

命(みこと) • (mikoto) 

1. the words or pronouncements of a god or an emperor

Kanji in this term
命
みこと Grade: 3
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 御 (mi-, honorific prefix) +‎ 事 (koto, “abstract thing”, as opposed to 物, mono, “concrete thing”).^[2][1]

• 尊

• (Tokyo) みこと [mìkótó] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [mʲiko̞to̞]

命(みこと) • (mikoto) 

1. the honorable, the exalted

   Used as a title after the referenced noun when referring to gods, emperors, or other high-status persons.

   • 711–712, Kojiki, Kami tsu maki:

     夜知富許能 迦微能美許登波

     八千矛の神の命は

     やちほこのかみのみことは

     Yachihoko no kami no mikoto wa

     the honorable god Yachihoko

   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book Book 20, No. 4408:

     波々蘇婆能 波々能美許等波

     柞葉の母の命は

     ははそばのははのみことは

     hahasoba no haha no mikoto wa

     the exalted mother of the oak leaf

2. the beloved, dearly beloved

   Similarly used as a title after the referenced noun.

   • 711–712, Kojiki, Kami tsu maki:

     和加久佐能　都麻能美許登

     若草の妻の命

     わかくさのつまのみこと

     Wakakusa no tsuma no mikoto

     dearly beloved young wife

命(みこと) • (mikoto) 

1. you
2. that person

Used ironically from the late Heian period, expressing a sense of mild derision or ridicule.

Kanji in this term
命
めい Grade: 3
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 命 (mjæng^H, “command”). Compare modern Mandarin 命 (mìng, “life, destiny, instruction”).

• (Tokyo) めー [méꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [me̞ː]

命(めい) • (mei) 

1. fate, destiny
2. life, lifespan
3. order, command

• (fate): 運(うん)命(めい) (unmei)
• (destiny): 天(てん)命(めい) (tenmei)
• (life): 生(せい)命(めい) (seimei)
• (lifespan): 寿(じゅ)命(みょう) (jumyō)
• (order): 仰(おおせ), 仰(おお)せ (ōse); 命(めい)令(れい) (meirei)

命 (eumhun 목숨 명 (moksum myeong))

1. hanja form^? of 명 (“life”)

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

• Kun: ぬち (nuchi, 命)、いぬち (inuchi, 命)

From Proto-Ryukyuan *inoti, from Proto-Japonic *inəti.

Kanji in this term
命
ぬち Grade: 3
kun'yomi

• IPA^(key): [nut͡ɕi]

命(ぬち) (nuchi) 

1. life

Kanji in this term
命
いぬち Grade: 3
kun'yomi

命(いぬち) (inuchi) 

1. (literary) life

• “ぬち【命】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

命: Hán Việt readings: mệnh, mạng
命: Nôm readings: mạng, mạnh, mệnh, mình

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