芋

Translingual

Han character

芋 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 廿一木 (TMD) or 難廿一木 (XTMD), four-corner 4440₁, composition ⿱艹于)

Derived characters

𭇻, 𰱕, 𧋪, 𮐆

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 1018, character 8
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 30670
Dae Jaweon: page 1476, character 8
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3174, character 3
Unihan data for U+828B

Unihan data for U+2F990

Chinese

trad.		芋
simp. ^#		芋
alternative forms		芌

Wikipedia has articles on:

芋 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
芋 (Cantonese)
芋 (Wu)

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (于) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
侉	*qaːls
夸	*kʰʷraː
姱	*kʰʷraː
胯	kʰʷraː, kʰʷraːs, *kʰʷaːs
跨	kʰʷraː, kʰʷraːʔ, kʰʷraːs, kʰʷaːs
誇	*kʰʷraː
垮	*kʰʷraːʔ
銙	*kʰʷraːʔ
骻	*kʰʷraːʔ
咵	*kʰʷraːʔ
釫	ɢʷraː, qʷaː
摦	*ɡʷraːs
鮬	pɢʷaː, kʰʷaː
嶀	*qʰʷl'aː
扝	kʰʷaː, qʷaː
刳	*kʰʷaː
郀	*kʰʷaː
挎	*kʰʷaː
袴	*kʰʷaːs
絝	*kʰʷaːs
褲	*kʰʷaːs
恗	*qʰaː
洿	ɡʷaːʔ, qʷaː
瓠	ɡʷlaː, ɡʷlaːs
鄠	*ɢʷlaːʔ
污	qʷaː, qʷaːs
杇	*qʷaː
圬	*qʷaː
鴮	*qʷaː
盓	*qʷaː
汙	qʷaːs, ɢʷa
樗	*qʰʷl'a
摴	*qʰʷl'a
荂	pqʰʷa, qʰʷa
雩	qʰʷla, ɢʷla
吁	qʰʷa, ɢʷas
盱	*qʰʷa
訏	*qʰʷa
扜	qʰʷa, qʷa
旴	*qʰʷa
冔	*qʰʷaʔ
紆	*qʷa
陓	*qʷa
迂	qʷa, qʷaʔ, *ɢʷa
虶	*qʷa
于	*ɢʷa
盂	*ɢʷa
竽	*ɢʷa
邘	*ɢʷa
玗	*ɢʷa
芋	ɢʷa, ɢʷas
杅	*ɢʷa
釪	*ɢʷa
骬	*ɢʷa
謣	*ɢʷla
宇	*ɢʷaʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷa, *ɢʷas) : semantic 艸 (“grass; plant”) + phonetic 于 (OC *ɢʷa) – taro.

Etymology 1

Unclear. Shuowen suggests that the word arises from the startling size of the taro, leading Kai Xu to connect it to 吁 (OC *qʰʷa), which is the sound that one makes when one is startled. However, this seems to be folk etymology.

Compare Proto-Hmong-Mien *wouH (“taro”), Burmese ဝ (wa., “elephant foot yam”), Tibetan གྲོ་མ (gro ma, “Argentina anserina (syn. Potentilla anserina), a plant with small edible tubers”). There are various theories on how all these words are related:

Schuessler (2007) considers it to be an areal word, comparing it to the Hmong-Mien and Burmese words. Schuessler (2015) does not consider the Tibetan word to be cognate.
Blench (2012) suggests that the Chinese word is borrowed from Proto-Hmong-Mien and that the Burmese word may be a late loan from Old Chinese.
STEDT reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/s-rwa (“taro; yam; tuber”), whence the Tibetan word. This etymon is regarded as allofamically related this word and 薯 (OC *djas).
Gong Hwang-cherng (2002) and Baxter and Sagart (2017) also suggest that this word is related to the Tibetan word.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): yù (yu⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄩˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): yu⁴
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): wu⁶

(Taishan, Wiktionary): vu⁴
Gan (Wiktionary): y⁵
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): vu

(Meixian, Guangdong): vu⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): y³
Northern Min (KCR): ṳ̄
Eastern Min (BUC): uô
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): ō͘ / ǒ͘ / ū / ī

(Teochew, Peng'im): ou⁷
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶yu
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): y⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yù
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yù
  - Wade–Giles: yü⁴
  - Yale: yù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yuh
  - Palladius: юй (juj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: yu⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: y
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: wu⁶
  - Yale: wuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: wu⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: wu⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wuː²²/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: vu⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /vu²¹/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: y⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y¹¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vu
  - Hakka Romanization System: vu
  - Hagfa Pinyim: vu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /vu⁵⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: vu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /ʋu⁵³/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: y³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /y⁴⁵/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ṳ̄
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵⁵/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: uô
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /uɔ²⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Hsinchu, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong, Singapore, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ō͘
  - Tâi-lô: ōo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: o
  - IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /ɔ³³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Philippines): /ɔ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kinmen, Singapore): /ɔ²²/
- (Hokkien: Lukang)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ǒ͘
  - Tâi-lô: ǒo
  - IPA (Lukang): /ɔ³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ū
  - Tâi-lô: ū
  - Phofsit Daibuun: u
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /u⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen): /u²²/
  - IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /u³³/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ī
  - Tâi-lô: ī
  - Phofsit Daibuun: i
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /i²²/

Note:

ō͘/ǒ͘ - vernacular;
ū/ī - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: ou⁷
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ōu
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /ou¹¹/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶yu
  - MiniDict: yu^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hhy
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦy²³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: y⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹/

Middle Chinese: hjuH

Rime
Character	芋
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	云 (35)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	王遇切
Baxter	hjuH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɨo^H/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦio^H/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣio^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦuə̆^H/
Li Rong	/ɣio^H/
Wang Li	/ɣĭu^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯u^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yù
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu⁶

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɢ]ʷ(r)a-s/

(Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷas/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	芋
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yù
Middle Chinese	‹ hju^H ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɢ]ʷ(r)a-s/
English	taro (Colocasia antiquorum?)
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	芋
Reading #	2/2
No.	15720
Phonetic component	于
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	芋
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷas/

Definitions

芋

taro

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 芋頭 (“taro”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		芋
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		芋, 芋艿
Taxonomic name		芋
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	芋頭
	Taiwan	芋頭
	Harbin	芋頭
	Singapore	芋頭
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	芋頭
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	芋頭
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	芋頭
	Xi'an	芋頭
	Xuzhou	毛芋頭, 芋頭
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	芋頭
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	芋頭, 芋子
	Wuhan	芋頭
	Guiyang	芋頭, 毛芋頭
	Liuzhou	芋頭
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	芋頭
	Yangzhou	芋頭
	Nantong	芋頭
Cantonese	Guangzhou	芋頭
	Hong Kong	芋頭
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	芋頭
	Macau	芋頭
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	芋頭
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	芋頭
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	芋頭
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	芋頭
	Foshan	芋頭
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	芋頭
	Foshan (Shunde)	芋頭
	Foshan (Sanshui)	芋頭
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	芋頭
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	芋頭
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	芋頭
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	芋
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	芋
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	芋
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	芋
	Taishan	芋頭
	Kaiping (Chikan)	芋頭
	Enping (Niujiang)	芋頭
	Heshan (Yayao)	芋
	Dongguan	芋頭, 芋
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	芋頭
	Shaoguan	芋頭
	Yunfu	芋頭
	Xinyi	芋頭
	Lianjiang	芋頭
	Nanning	芋頭
	Wuzhou	芋頭
	Yulin	芋頭
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	芋頭
	Singapore (Guangfu)	芋頭
Gan	Nanchang	芋頭
	Lichuan	芋, 芋頭
	Pingxiang	芋頭
Hakka	Meixian	芋仔, 芋頭
	Yudu	芋子, 芋頭
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	芋仔, 芋頭
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	芋仔, 芋頭
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	芋仔, 芋頭
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	芋, 芋頭, 芋卵
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	芋仔, 芋, 芋頭, 芋卵
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	芋, 芋卵
Huizhou	Jixi	芋頭
Jin	Taiyuan	芋頭
Northern Min	Jian'ou	芋頭, 芋
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	芋
Eastern Min	Fuqing	芋頭
Southern Min	Xiamen	芋
	Quanzhou	芋
	Zhangzhou	芋
	Taipei	芋仔
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	芋仔
	Kaohsiung	芋仔
	Yilan	芋仔
	Changhua (Lukang)	芋仔
	Taichung	芋仔
	Tainan	芋仔
	Hsinchu	芋仔
	Kinmen	芋
	Penghu (Magong)	芋
	Penang (Hokkien)	芋
	Singapore (Hokkien)	芋
	Manila (Hokkien)	芋
	Chaozhou	芋
	Singapore (Teochew)	芋
	Leizhou	芋
	Haikou	芋
Puxian Min	Putian	芋
	Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang)	芋頭, 芋 plant
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	芋
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	芋
	Xianyou	芋
	Xianyou (Fengting)	芋
	Xianyou (Youyang)	芋
Central Min	Yong'an	芋頭
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	芋
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	芋, 芋頭
Waxiang	Yuanling (Shaojiwan)	芋頭
Wu	Shanghai	芋艿, 芋艿頭
	Shanghai (Chongming)	芋艿
	Suzhou	芋艿
	Danyang	芋頭, 芋頭麻子, 芋頭子子, 芋頭婆婆
	Hangzhou	芋艿
	Ningbo	芋艿
	Wenzhou	芋
	Jinhua	芋, 毛芋
Xiang	Changsha	芋頭, 芋子
Xiang	Loudi	芋子

Compounds

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yú (yu²)

(Zhuyin): ㄩˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yú
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yú
  - Wade–Giles: yü²
  - Yale: yú
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yu
  - Palladius: юй (juj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵/

Middle Chinese: hju

Rime
Character	芋
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	云 (35)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	羽俱切
Baxter	hju
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɨo/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦio/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣio/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦuə̆/
Li Rong	/ɣio/
Wang Li	/ɣĭu/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yú
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu⁴

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷa/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	芋
Reading #	1/2
No.	15712
Phonetic component	于
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	于
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷa/

Definitions

芋

^‡ (of grass) lush; luxuriant

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xū (xu¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄩ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xū
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄩ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: syu
  - Wade–Giles: hsü¹
  - Yale: syū
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiu
  - Palladius: сюй (sjuj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕy⁵⁵/

Definitions

芋

^‡ large; great
^‡ to have

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yǔ (yu³)

(Zhuyin): ㄩˇ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yǔ
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yǔ
  - Wade–Giles: yü³
  - Yale: yǔ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeu
  - Palladius: юй (juj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹⁴/

Definitions

芋

Used in 芋尹 (yǔyǐn).
Alternative form of 宇 (yǔ, “to live; to reside”)

Japanese

Kanji

芋

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

Go-on: う (u)
Kan-on: う (u)
Kun: いも (imo, 芋, Jōyō)、うも (umo, 芋)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
芋
いも Grade: S
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 芋 – see the following entry.

【いも】	[noun] [from 720] edible tuber [noun] potato [noun] sweet potato [noun] yam [noun] taro [noun] (video games) camper, a person who stays in one spot in a first-person shooting game

(This term, 芋, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 芋 (MC hjuH). Recorded as Middle Korean 芌/우〯 (wǔ) (Yale: wu) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

芋

Wikisource

芋 (eumhun 토란 우 (toran u))

hanja form^? of 우 (“taro”)

Compounds

오우 (烏芋, ou)
인우 (茵芋, inu)
망우 (芒芋, mang'u)
국우 (菊芋, gugu)
산우 (山芋, sanu)
우산도 (于山島/芋山島, usando)

Etymology 2

Hanja

芋 (eumhun 클 후 (keul hu))

(literary Chinese) hanja form^? of 후 (“large; great”)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

芋: Hán Nôm readings: dụ, vu

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.