劍

See also: 剑

劍 U+528D, 劍 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-528D ← 劌 [U+528C] CJK Unified Ideographs 劎 → [U+528E]

Translingual

Traditional	劍
Shinjitai	剣
Simplified	剑

Han character

劍 (Kangxi radical 18, 刀+13, 15 strokes, cangjie input 人人中弓 (OOLN), four-corner 8280₀, composition ⿰僉刂)

Derived characters

• 𠐘, 𡃍, 𤑯, 𤢾, 𧁴, 𣋽

Descendants

• 剣 (In Japanese shinjitai)
• 剑 (In simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 144, character 45
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 2228
• Dae Jaweon: page 326, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 358, character 10
• Unihan data for U+528D

Chinese

trad.		劍
simp.		剑
alternative forms		劎 劒 劔 𠠆 鐱／𲈀 劎 劒 劔 𠠆 鐱／𲈀 釼 剣 𠝏 剱

劍: A Jian with 鞘 (qiào, “scabbard”).

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 劍
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

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

	Old Chinese
厱	*raːm, *kʰreːm, *kʰlam
歛	*qʰlaːm
臉	*ɡ·reːmʔ, *skʰlam, *kramʔ
醶	*ɡr·reːmʔ, *skʰraːmʔ
鹼	*kreːmʔ, *skʰlam
薟	*ɡ·ram, *ɡ·ramʔ, *qʰram
匳	*ɡ·ram
獫	*ɡ·ram, *ɡ·ramʔ, *ɡ·rams, *qʰramʔ
蘞	*ɡ·ram, *ɡ·ramʔ, *qʰlam
籢	*ɡ·ram
斂	*ɡ·ramʔ, *ɡ·rams
瀲	*ɡ·ramʔ, *ɡ·rams
撿	*ɡ·ramʔ, *kramʔ
羷	*ɡ·ramʔ
殮	*ɡ·rams
簽	*skʰlam
僉	*skʰlam
憸	*skʰlam, *skʰlamʔ, *sqʰlam, *qʰramʔ
譣	*skʰlam, *qʰramʔ
檢	*kramʔ
瞼	*kramʔ
儉	*ɡramʔ
顩	*ŋramʔ, *rlɯmʔ, *kʰrɯmʔ
嬐	*ŋramʔ
嶮	*ŋramʔ, *hŋramʔ
噞	*ŋramʔ, *ŋrams
驗	*ŋrams
險	*qʰramʔ
劒	*kams
劍	*kams
𩏩	*qʰam

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kams) : phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam) + semantic 刂.

Etymology

Schuessler (2007) proposes a possible native origin, from *k-nominalized adjective 剡 (OC *ɦljamʔ, *lamʔ), which is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-rjam (“sharp”) and lost its *r- initial due to folk etymology; doublets 磏 (OC *r(i)am, “whetstone”) and 鐮 (OC *ɡ·rem, “sickle”) retain *r-.

Alternatively, the double-edged sword seemingly originated from the southern state of Wu (吳); so a native Wu term, of unknown linguistic affiliation, might have yielded both Old Chinese 劍 (OC *kams) and Proto-Vietic *t-kɨəm ( > Vietnamese gươm).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiàn (jian⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gim³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): giam¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kiam

  (Meixian, Guangdong): giam⁴

• Eastern Min (BUC): giéng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kiàm

  (Teochew, Peng'im): giam³

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵ci

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiàn
    • Wade–Giles: chien⁴
    • Yale: jyàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiann
    • Palladius: цзянь (czjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gim³
    • Yale: gim
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gim³
    • Guangdong Romanization: gim³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiːm³³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: giam¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiam³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kiam
    • Hakka Romanization System: giam
    • Hagfa Pinyim: giam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ki̯am⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: giam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kiam⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: giéng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiɛŋ²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kiàm
    • Tâi-lô: kiàm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kiaxm
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kiam²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kiam⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kiam²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kiam¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kiam²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: giam³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kiàm
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiam²¹³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵ci
    • MiniDict: ci^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²ji
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕi³⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: kjaemH

Rime
Character	劍
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	嚴 (145)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	居欠切
Baxter	kjaemH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɨɐmH/
Pan Wuyun	/kiɐmH/
Shao Rongfen	/kiɐmH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kɨamH/
Li Rong	/kiɐmH/
Wang Li	/kĭɐmH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ki̯ɐmH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gim3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*s.kr[a]m-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kams/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	劍
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiàn
Middle Chinese	‹ kjæmH ›
Old Chinese	/*s.kr[a]m-s/
English	sword
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	劍
Reading #	1/1
No.	10227
Phonetic component	僉
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	劔
Old Chinese	/*kams/
Notes	原列梵韻作劒， 此本說文籀文， 集韻驗韻或體

Definitions

劍

1. sword (bladed on both sides); sabre (Classifier: 口; 把)

   • 鄭之刀，宋之斤，魯之削，吳粵之劍，遷乎其地而弗能為良，地氣然也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     郑之刀，宋之斤，鲁之削，吴粤之剑，迁乎其地而弗能为良，地气然也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Rites of Zhou, circa 3^rd century BCE

     Zhèng zhī dāo, Sòng zhī jīn, Lǔ zhī xuē, Wúyuè zhī jiàn, qiān hū qí dì ér fú néng wéi liáng, dì qì rán yě. [Pinyin]

     The knives of Zheng, the axes of Song, the pen-knives of Lu, and the double-edged swords of Wu and Yue are famous for their origin. In no other places, can one make these things so well. This is natural because of the qi of the earth.

2. Classifier for swings of a sword.
3. ^† (alt. form 挟) to hold beneath the arm

   • 回顧乳者劍汝而立於旁。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     回顾乳者剑汝而立于旁。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1070, Ouyang Xiu, 《瀧岡阡表》, translated as Inscription On the Memorial Tablet For the Passage To the Shuanggang Tomb by Ronald C. Egan

     Huígù rǔzhě jiàn rǔ ér lì yú páng. [Pinyin]

     Turning around, he saw the wet-nurse at out side, holding you in her arms.

4. a surname

Compounds

• 三劍客 / 三剑客
• 三尺劍 / 三尺剑
• 仗劍 / 仗剑 (zhàngjiàn)
• 伏劍 / 伏剑
• 佩劍 / 佩剑 (pèijiàn)
• 借劍殺人 / 借剑杀人
• 刀光劍影 / 刀光剑影
• 刀劍 / 刀剑 (dāojiàn)
• 刀劍無情 / 刀剑无情
• 刀山劍林 / 刀山剑林
• 刀山劍樹 / 刀山剑树
• 刀鎗劍戟 / 刀枪剑戟
• 利劍 / 利剑 (lìjiàn)
• 刻舟求劍 / 刻舟求剑 (kèzhōuqiújiàn)
• 劍仙 / 剑仙
• 劍俠 / 剑侠 (jiànxiá)
• 劍刃 / 剑刃
• 劍化 / 剑化
• 劍南 / 剑南
• 劍南詩稿 / 剑南诗稿
• 劍及履及 / 剑及履及
• 劍合珠還 / 剑合珠还
• 劍器 / 剑器
• 劍士 / 剑士 (jiànshì)
• 劍外 / 剑外
• 劍客 / 剑客 (jiànkè)
• 劍尾魚 / 剑尾鱼
• 劍履 / 剑履 (jiànlǚ)
• 劍山 / 剑山
• 劍戟森森 / 剑戟森森
• 劍拔弩張 / 剑拔弩张 (jiànbánǔzhāng)
• 劍指 / 剑指 (jiànzhǐ)
• 劍旗魚 / 剑旗鱼
• 劍柄 / 剑柄
• 劍橋 / 剑桥 (Jiànqiáo)
• 劍樹刀山 / 剑树刀山
• 劍氣 / 剑气 (jiànqì)
• 劍水蚤 / 剑水蚤 (jiànshuǐzǎo)
• 劍池 / 剑池
• 劍河 / 剑河
• 劍潭 / 剑潭
• 劍眉 / 剑眉
• 劍眉星眼 / 剑眉星眼
• 劍羚 / 剑羚 (jiànlíng)
• 劍膽琴心 / 剑胆琴心 (jiàndǎnqínxīn)
• 劍舌槍脣 / 剑舌枪唇
• 劍舞 / 剑舞
• 劍蘭 / 剑兰 (jiànlán)
• 劍術 / 剑术 (jiànshù)
• 劍道 / 剑道 (jiàndào)
• 劍門山 / 剑门山
• 劍閣 / 剑阁 (Jiàngé)
• 劍鞘 / 剑鞘 (jiànqiào)
• 劍頭一吷 / 剑头一吷
• 劍魚座 / 剑鱼座 (Jiànyúzuò)
• 劍麻 / 剑麻 (jiànmá)
• 劍齒虎 / 剑齿虎 (jiànchǐhǔ)
• 劍齒象 / 剑齿象
• 劍龍 / 剑龙
• 勢劍 / 势剑
• 口蜜腹劍 / 口蜜腹剑 (kǒumìfùjiàn)
• 吞劍 / 吞剑
• 太極劍 / 太极剑
• 季札掛劍 / 季札挂剑
• 寶劍 / 宝剑 (bǎojiàn)
• 尚方寶劍 / 尚方宝剑 (shàngfāng bǎojiàn)
• 屨及劍及 / 屦及剑及
• 延陵掛劍 / 延陵挂剑
• 弩張劍拔 / 弩张剑拔
• 慧劍 / 慧剑
• 懼刀避劍 / 惧刀避剑
• 拊劍 / 拊剑
• 按劍 / 按剑 (ànjiàn)
• 掛劍 / 挂剑 (guàjiàn)
• 揮劍成河 / 挥剑成河
• 提劍汗馬 / 提剑汗马
• 撫劍 / 抚剑 (fǔjiàn)
• 撫劍疾視 / 抚剑疾视
• 擊劍 / 击剑 (jījiàn)
• 故劍 / 故剑 (gùjiàn)
• 故劍情深 / 故剑情深
• 斬馬劍 / 斩马剑
• 智慧劍 / 智慧剑
• 書劍飄零 / 书剑飘零
• 東洋劍 / 东洋剑
• 歐冶鑄劍 / 欧冶铸剑
• 求劍刻舟 / 求剑刻舟
• 法劍 / 法剑
• 琴劍 / 琴剑
• 琴劍飄零 / 琴剑飘零
• 琴心劍膽 / 琴心剑胆
• 盤水加劍 / 盘水加剑
• 破山劍 / 破山剑
• 脣槍舌劍 / 唇枪舌剑 (chúnqiāngshéjiàn)
• 舌劍脣槍 / 舌剑唇枪 (shéjiànchúnqiāng)
• 舞劍 / 舞剑
• 花劍 / 花剑 (huājiàn)
• 菊花與劍 / 菊花与剑
• 蒲劍 / 蒲剑
• 西洋劍 / 西洋剑
• 覺劍 / 觉剑
• 解劍拜仇 / 解剑拜仇
• 誓劍 / 誓剑
• 豐城劍氣 / 丰城剑气
• 買牛賣劍 / 买牛卖剑
• 賣劍買牛 / 卖剑买牛
• 跳劍 / 跳剑
• 重劍 / 重剑 (zhòngjiàn)
• 銃劍 / 铳剑
• 銳劍 / 锐剑 (ruìjiàn)
• 開荒劍 / 开荒剑
• 雄劍 / 雄剑
• 雙刃劍 / 双刃剑 (shuāngrènjiàn)
• 項莊舞劍 / 项庄舞剑
• 頓劍搖環 / 顿剑摇环
• 風刀霜劍 / 风刀霜剑
• 飛劍 / 飞剑
• 魚腸劍 / 鱼肠剑
• 魚藏劍 / 鱼藏剑
• 齒劍 / 齿剑 (chǐjiàn)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (劍):

• → Japanese: 剣(けん) (ken)
• → Korean: 검(劍) (geom)
• → Vietnamese: kiếm (劍)

See also

• 鋏／铗, 鍔／锷

Japanese

Shinjitai	剣
Kyūjitai	劍

Kanji

劍

(Jinmeiyō kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 剣)

1. Kyūjitai form of 剣: double-edged sword; swordsmanship

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon)^{←こん (kon, historical)←こむ (komu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: けん (ken)^{←けん (ken, historical)←けむ (kemu, ancient)}
• Kun: つるぎ (tsurugi, 劍)^{←つるぎ (turugi, 劍, historical)←つるき (turuki, 劍, ancient)}
• Nanori: あきら (akira)、つとむ (tsutomu)、はや (haya)

Korean

Alternative forms

• 劒

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 劍 (MC kjaemH).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	검〮 (Yale: kém)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[1]	환도 (Yale: hwantwo)	검〯 (Yale: kěm)

Pronunciation

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

Hanja

Wikisource

劍 (eumhun 칼 검 (kal geom))

1. hanja form^? of 검 (“sword; knife”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 검객 (劍客, geomgaek)
• 검공 (劍工, geomgong, “sword smith”)
• 검극 (劍劇, geomgeuk, “sword play”)
• 검극 (劍戟, geomgeuk, “swords and spears”)
• 검난 (劍難, geomnan, “tragedy caused by the sword”)
• 검도 (劍道, geomdo)
• 검무 (劍舞, geommu, “sword dance”)
• 검법 (劍法, geombeop, “swordsmanship”)
• 검사 (劍士, geomsa)
• 검술 (劍術, geomsul)
• 검장 (劍匠, geomjang, “sword smith”)
• 검호 (劍豪, geomho, “swordsman par excellence”)

References

• 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

Han character

劍: Hán Nôm readings: kiếm, ghém, gươm, kém, chém, sớm

1. sword

Compounds

• 劍術 (kiếm thuật)

Usage notes

• Chữ Nôm. The modern Vietnamese word for sword is kiếm.

References

• www.chunom.org