仙せん

Historical forms of the character 仙せん
Transcribed ancient scripts L31826 L31827 L31828 L06560 L06561 L06562 L06563 L06564 L06565
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (山やま) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
山やま	*sreːn
疝	sreːn, sraːns
邖	*sreːn
汕	sreːnʔ, sraːns
訕	sraːn, sraːns
仙せん	*sen
秈	*sen
苮	*sen
屾	*srin

Ideogrammic compound (會意かいい／会意かいい) and phono-semantic compound (形聲けいせい／形声けいせい, OC *sen) : semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 山やま (OC *sreːn, “mountain”) — a person moving into a mountain to practise becoming immortal.

Originally 僊. The current form is first attested in the clerical script of the Han dynasty.

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		仙せん
alternative forms		僊仚屳㒨 ancient 僲僊仚屳㒨 ancient 僲𠑗 ancient 𠏡

A relatively late word, perhaps Sino-Tibetan (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Tibetan གཤེན (gshen, “shaman”), as in Tibetan གཤེན་རབ (gshen rab, “Shenrab”), the founder of the Tibetan religion Bon, although this might be a loan from Chinese (ibid.). Starostin sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s[ă]n (“a kind of demon”), comparing it to Tibetan བསེན་མོ (bsen mo, “female devil”) and Jingpho sawn (“malignant female nat”).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): xiān (xian¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xian¹
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sin¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhen¹
Gan (Wiktionary): xien¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): siên
Jin (Wiktionary): xie¹
Northern Min (KCR): síng
Eastern Min (BUC): siĕng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): sing¹ / seng¹
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): sian

(Teochew, Peng'im): siêng¹ / siang¹
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹shi
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): sienn¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiān
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sian
  - Wade–Giles: hsien¹
  - Yale: syān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian
  - Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: xian¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xian
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: sin¹
  - Yale: sīn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: xin¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhen¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬen³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: xien¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: siên
  - Hakka Romanization System: xien^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: xian¹
  - Sinological IPA: /si̯en²⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: xie¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕie¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: síng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siŋ⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: siĕng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sieŋ⁵⁵/
Puxian Min
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: sing¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬiŋ⁵³³/
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: seng¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬɛŋ⁵³³/

Note:

sing1 - vernacular;
seng1 - literary.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian
  - Tâi-lô: sian
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siefn
  - IPA (Xiamen): /siɛn⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /siɛn³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /siɛn⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /siɛn⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɛn⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: siêng¹ / siang¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sieng / siang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sieŋ³³/, /siaŋ³³/

Note:

siêng1 - Chaozhou;
siang1 - Shantou.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹shi
  - MiniDict: shi^平ひらた
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹xi
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɕi⁵³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: sienn¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /si̯ẽ³³/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /ɕi̯ẽ³³/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 仙せん
Mandarin	Beijing	/ɕian⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/ɕian⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/ɕian²¹/
	Jinan	/ɕiã²¹³/
	Qingdao	/siã²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/sian²⁴/
	Xi'an	/ɕiã²¹/
	Xining	/ɕiã⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/ɕian⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/ɕiɛ̃n³¹/
	Ürümqi	/ɕian⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/ɕiɛn⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/ɕian⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/ɕian⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/ɕiɛ̃⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/sien³¹/
	Hefei	/ɕyĩ²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɕie¹¹/
	Pingyao	/ɕie̞¹³/
	Hohhot	/ɕie³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɕi⁵³/
	Suzhou	/siɪ⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ɕiẽ̞³³/
	Wenzhou	/ɕi³³/
Hui	Shexian	/se³¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/siɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/siẽ³³/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/siẽ³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ɕiɛn⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/sien⁴⁴/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/sien²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/sin⁵⁵/
	Nanning	/ɬin⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/sin⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/sian⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/sieŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/siŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/siaŋ³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/tin²³/

Middle Chinese: sjen

Rime
Character	仙せん
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲こえ)	心しん (16)
Final (韻いん)	仙せん (77)
Tone (調しらべ)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開ひらき合あい)	Open
Division (等ひとし)	III
Fanqie	相そう然しか切きり
Baxter	sjen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/sjæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sian/
Li Rong	/siɛn/
Wang Li	/sĭɛn/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sin¹

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

(Zhengzhang): /*sen/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	仙せん
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiān
Middle Chinese	‹ sjen ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]a[r]/
English	immortal (n.)
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	仙せん
Reading #	1/1
No.	11060
Phonetic component	山やま
Rime group	元もと
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	仙せん
Old Chinese	/*sen/

Definitions

仙せん

(Taoism) xian (an immortal; celestial being)
(figurative) extraordinary person
詩し仙せん／诗仙せん ― shīxiān ― great poet; epithet of Li Bai
(agent affix, chiefly Southern Min, honorific) expert; a title for a person with a specific expertise
相あい命いのち仙せん [Taiwanese Hokkien] ― siòng-miā-sian [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― fortuneteller
(agent affix, chiefly Southern Min, ironic) person with some specific hobby or addiction
筊仙せん [Taiwanese Hokkien] ― kiáu-sian [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― gambler
a euphemism for the deceased
仙せん逝 ― xiānshì ― to pass away
(Southern Min) Classifier for deity, idol, statue, doll. Alternative form of 身み (sian)
Synonym: 尊みこと (zūn)

大だい仙せん的てき王おう爺じい公おおやけ，細ほそ仙せん的てき王おう爺じい囝。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
大だい仙せん的てき王おう爷公おおやけ，细仙せん的てき王おう爷囝。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]
Tōa sian--ê ông-iâ kong, sè sian--ê ông-iâ kiáⁿ. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
(idiomatic) Idols of Wang Ye's are everywhere. Literally, “The bigger idol is a senior Wang Ye; the smaller idol is a junior Wang Ye.”
(Southern Min) (with negative) whatsoever, any way
仙せん講こう都と毋聽／仙せん讲都と毋听 [Taiwanese Hokkien] ― sian kóng to m̄ thiaⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― won't listen (to you) no matter what you say
a surname

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (仙せん):

→ Japanese: 仙せん(せん) (sen)
→ Korean: 선(仙せん) (seon)
→ Vietnamese: tiên (仙せん)

Others:

→ Thai: เซียน (siian) (via Hokkien)

Compounds

七なな仙女せんにょ
上うえ仙せん
世よ仙せん
九天きゅうてん仙女せんにょ
乩仙
人間にんげん仙境せんきょう／人ひと间仙境せんきょう
仙丹せんたん (xiāndān)
仙人せんにん (xiānrén, “sage”)
仙人せんにん拳けん
仙人掌さぼてん (xiānrénzhǎng)
仙人せんにん擔／仙人せんにん担 (xiānréndàn)
仙人せんにん放屁ほうひ
仙人せんにん渡わたり (Xiānréndù)
仙人せんにん跳とべ (xiānréntiào)
仙せん仗
仙せん公こう
仙せん公こう廟びょう／仙せん公こう庙 (xiāngōngmiào)
仙せん劍けん／仙せん剑 (“paladin”)
仙せん后きさき座ざ (Xiānhòuzuò)
仙せん域いき
仙境せんきょう (xiānjìng, “wonderland”)
仙せん壇だん／仙せん坛
仙女せんにょ (xiānnǚ, “female sage”)
仙女せんにょ山やま (Xiānnǚshān)
仙女せんにょ座ざ (Xiānnǚzuò)
仙女せんにょ廟びょう／仙女せんにょ庙
仙せん姑しゅうと (xiāngū)
仙せん姿すがた
仙せん姿すがた玉だま色しょく
仙子せんこ (xiānzǐ)
仙せん官かん
仙客せんかく
仙せん居きょ (xiānjū)
仙せん履くつ奇き缘
仙山せんのやま瓊閣／仙山せんのやま琼阁 (xiānshānqiónggé)
仙せん巴ともえ掌てのひら (Min Nan)
仙せん府ふ
仙せん度ど瑞みず拉ひしげ
仙せん才ざい
仙せん拚仙 (Min Nan)
仙せん方かた (xiānfāng)
仙せん曹
仙せん木き
仙果せんか
仙せん桃もも (xiāntáo, “Peaches of Immortality”)
仙せん樂らく／仙せん乐 (xiānyuè)
仙せん樹じゅ／仙せん树
仙せん機き／仙せん机つくえ
仙せん氣き／仙せん气
仙せん法ほう
仙洞せんとう
仙せん海かい
仙せん源げん
仙せん燈とう／仙せん灯とう (xiāndēng)
仙せん王座おうざ (Xiānwángzuò)
仙せん班はん
仙界せんかい (xiānjiè)
仙せん真しん
仙せん童わらわ
仙せん童わらわ仙女せんにょ
仙せん筆ひつ／仙せん笔
仙せん籍せき
仙せん經けい／仙せん经
仙せん茅ちがや (xiānmáo)
仙せん草くさ (xiāncǎo)
仙せん草くさ蜜みつ
仙せん蒂瑞拉ひしげ
仙藥せんやく／仙せん药
仙術せんじゅつ／仙せん术 (xiānshù)
仙せん貝かい／仙せん贝 (xiānbèi)
仙せん逝 (xiānshì)
仙遊せんゆう／仙せん游ゆう (xiānyóu)
仙せん郎ろう
仙鄉せんきょう／仙せん乡 (xiānxiāng)
仙せん都と唔仙
仙せん霞かすみ嶺みね／仙せん霞かすみ岭
仙せん露ろ明あかり珠たま
仙せん顏がお／仙せん颜
仙せん風ふう道みち骨こつ／仙せん风道骨こつ
仙せん館かん／仙せん馆
仙骨せんこつ (xiāngǔ)
仙せん鶴づる／仙せん鹤 (xiānhè)
仙せん鶴づる草そう／仙せん鹤草 (xiānhècǎo)
仙せん鼠ねずみ
修おさむ仙せん (xiūxiān)
做仙 (Min Nan)
假かり仙せん (Min Nan)
八はち仙せん (bāxiān)
八はち仙山せんのやま
八はち仙せん桌 (bāxiānzhuō)
八はち仙せん花はな (bāxiānhuā)
八はち仙せん過か海うみ／八はち仙せん过海 (bāxiānguòhǎi)
六ろく仙せん桌
凌しのげ波は仙子せんこ
列れつ仙せん
劍けん仙せん／剑仙
半はん仙せん
半はん仙せん戲おどけ／半はん仙せん戏
南極なんきょく仙せん翁おきな／南みなみ极仙翁おきな
和合わごう二に仙せん
四よん仙せん桌
地理ちり仙せん (Min Nan)
坡仙
大仙だいせん (dàxiān)
大仙だいせん爺じい／大仙だいせん爷
大だい細ほそ仙せん／大だい细仙 (Min Nan)
大だい羅ら神仙しんせん／大だい罗神仙しんせん
天仙てんせん (tiānxiān)
天仙てんせん聖母せいぼ／天仙てんせん圣母
妃ひ祿ろく仙女せんにょ／妃ひ禄ろく仙女せんにょ
學がく仔こ仙せん／学がく仔こ仙せん (Min Nan)
廣こう寒かん仙子せんこ／广寒仙子せんこ
張ちょう仙せん／张仙
得道とくどう成なり仙せん
懵仙 (Min Nan)
成なり仙せん (“becoming immortal”)
扮ふん仙せん (Min Nan)
攀よじ仙せん桂かつら
散ち仙せん (Min Nan)
昇のぼり仙せん／升ます仙せん (shēngxiān)
梅うめ仙せん
歌うた仔こ仙せん (Min Nan)
水仙すいせん (shuǐxiān)
洞ほら仙せん (dòngxiān)
活かつ神仙しんせん
游ゆう仙窟せんくつ
焦こげ三さん仙せん
狐きつね仙せん (húxiān)
王おう祿ろく仔こ仙せん／王おう禄ろく仔こ仙せん (Min Nan)
玉たま天仙てんせん
甲きのえ仙せん (Jiǎxiān)
癮仙／瘾仙 (Min Nan)
登仙とうせん (dēngxiān)
盜ぬすめ仙せん草くさ／盗ぬすめ仙せん草くさ
看み命いのち仙せん (Min Nan)
睡ねむ仙せん
碟仙
神仙しんせん (shénxiān)
神仙しんせん中ちゅう人じん (shénxiānzhōngrén)
神仙しんせん思想しそう
神仙しんせん眷屬けんぞく／神仙しんせん眷属けんぞく
神仙しんせん魚ぎょ／神仙しんせん鱼
秋あき水仙すいせん素もと (qiūshuǐxiānsù)
筊仙 (Min Nan)
箕み仙せん
綠野りょくや仙せん蹤／绿野仙せん踪
練ねり仙せん／练仙 (Min Nan)
美國びくに仙丹せんたん／美国びくに仙丹せんたん (Min Nan)
羽化うか登仙とうせん
肉にく飛ひ仙せん／肉にく飞仙
臭におい屁へ仙せん (Min Nan)
英えい仙せん座ざ (Yīngxiānzuò)
莆仙 (Pú-Xiān)
莆仙戲おどけ／莆仙戏 (púxiānxì)
葛かずら仙せん米まい
葛かずら仙せん翁おきな
蓋ぶた仙せん／盖仙
蓬よもぎ瀛仙境せんきょう
蓬よもぎ萊仙境せんきょう／蓬莱ほうらい仙境せんきょう
蓬よもぎ萊仙島とう／蓬莱ほうらい仙せん岛 (Pénglái Xiāndǎo)
虎とら膦仙 (Min Nan)
詩仙しせん／诗仙 (shīxiān)
話はなし仙せん／话仙 (Min Nan)
請仙／请仙
諞仙／谝仙 (Min Nan)
謫仙／谪仙
赤あか腳大仙だいせん／赤あか脚あし大仙だいせん
赤あか跤仙仔こ (Min Nan)
走はし街まち仔こ仙せん (Min Nan)
遊ゆう仙せん／游ゆう仙せん
遊ゆう仙せん枕まくら／游ゆう仙せん枕まくら
遊ゆう仙せん詩し／游ゆう仙せん诗
道みち骨こつ仙せん風ふう／道みち骨こつ仙せん风
酒さけ中仙なかせん
酒仙しゅせん (jiǔxiān)
酒さけ八はち仙人せんにん
閒あいだ仙せん仙せん／闲仙仙せん (Min Nan)
阿おもね仙藥せんやく／阿おもね仙せん药 (āxiānyào)
陸地りくち神仙しんせん／陆地神仙しんせん
雞犬皆みな仙せん／鸡犬皆みな仙せん
雲仙うんぜん雜記ざっき／云うん仙せん杂记
風ふう水仙すいせん／风水仙すいせん (Min Nan)
飄若神仙しんせん／飘若神仙しんせん
飄飄ひょうひょう欲よく仙せん／飘飘欲よく仙せん (piāopiāoyùxiān)
飛ひ仙せん／飞仙
鳳おおとり仙子せんこ／凤仙子こ
鳳仙花ほうせんか／凤仙花はな (fèngxiānhuā)
鴉片あへん仙せん／鸦片仙せん (Min Nan)
麻衣まい仙せん翁おきな

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		仙せん
alternative forms		銑ずく／铣 Min Nan

Borrowed from English cent.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xiān (xian¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sin¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhen²
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sián / sian

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiān
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sian
  - Wade–Giles: hsien¹
  - Yale: syān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian
  - Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: sin¹
  - Yale: sīn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: xin¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhen²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬen⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sián
  - Tâi-lô: sián
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siern
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /siɛn⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɛn⁴¹/
- (Hokkien: Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian
  - Tâi-lô: sian
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siefn
  - IPA (Philippines): /siɛn³³/

Definitions

仙せん

(Cantonese, Southern Min, Malaysian and Singapore Mandarin) cent (Classifier: 個こ／个 c)
五ご仙せん硬かた幣ぬさ／五ご仙せん硬かた币 [Cantonese] ― ng⁵ sin¹ ngaang⁶ bai⁶ [Jyutping] ― five-cent coin

佢係かかり私生子しせいじ，佢老ろう豆まめ死し嗰陣一いち個こ仙せん都と冇分ぶん畀佢。 [Cantonese, trad.]
佢系けい私生子しせいじ，佢老ろう豆まめ死し嗰阵一いち个仙せん都と冇分ぶん畀佢。 [Cantonese, simp.]
keoi⁵ hai⁶ si¹ sang¹ zi², keoi⁵ lou⁵ dau⁶ sei² go² zan⁶ jat¹ go³ sin¹ dou¹ mou⁵ fan¹ bei² keoi⁵. [Jyutping]
He is a son born out of wedlock, so when his dad died, he didn't even inherit one cent.

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 分ぶん (“fen; cent”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		分ぶん
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	分ぶん
	Taiwan	分ぶん
	Malaysia	仙せん
	Singapore	分ぶん
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	分ぶん
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	分ぶん
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	分ぶん
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	分ぶん
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	分ぶん
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	分ぶん
Cantonese	Guangzhou	分ぶん
	Hong Kong	仙せん, 仙せん士し dated
	Taishan	分ぶん, 仙せん
	Singapore (Guangfu)	分ぶん
Gan	Nanchang	分ぶん
Hakka	Meixian	分ぶん
Jin	Taiyuan	分ぶん
Northern Min	Jian'ou	分ぶん
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	分ぶん
Southern Min	Xiamen	占うらない, 分ぶん
	Quanzhou	占うらない
	Zhangzhou	占うらない
	Tainan	仙せん
	Penang (Hokkien)	鐳, sen
	Singapore (Hokkien)	占うらない
	Manila (Hokkien)	仙せん
	Chaozhou	分ぶん
	Singapore (Teochew)	占うらない
	Singapore (Hainanese)	占うらない
Wu	Suzhou	分ぶん
Wu	Wenzhou	分ぶん
Xiang	Changsha	分ぶん
Xiang	Shuangfeng	分ぶん

Compounds

Etymology 3

From clipping of English senior.

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): sin¹

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: sin¹
  - Yale: sīn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: xin¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵/

Definitions

仙せん (Hong Kong Cantonese, university slang)

senior
(of a senior) to berate a junior

Derived terms

Japanese

Kanji

仙せん

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

Go-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
Kan-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
Nanori: そま (soma)、のり (nori)、ひさ (hisa)

Compounds

仙せん(せん)界さかい(かい) (senkai): dwelling place of hermits
仙せん(せん)客きゃく(かく) (senkaku): immortal mountain wizard, crane
仙せん(せん)宮みや(きゅう) (senkyū): hermit's residence, retired emperor's palace
仙せん(せん)境さかい(きょう), 仙せん(せん)郷さと(きょう) (senkyō): fairyland, enchanted land
仙せん(せん)窟くつ(くつ) (senkutsu): enchanted cave
仙せん(せん)骨ほね(こつ) (senkotsu): sacrum, sacral bone; hermitry
仙せん(さん)術じゅつ(じゅつ) (sanjutsu): wizardry, secret of immortality
仙せん(せん)女おんな(じょ) (senjo), 仙せん(せん)女おんな(にょ) (sennyo): fairy, nymph, elf
仙せん(せん)台だい(だい) (Sendai): Sendai city
仙せん(せん)丹に(たん) (sentan): elixir, elixir of life
仙せん(せん)椎しい(つい) (sentsui): sacral vertebra
仙せん(せん)人ひと(にん) (sennin): immortal mountain wizard, mountain man
仙せん(せん)翁おう(のう) (sennō): Lychnis species
仙せん(せん)薬くすり(やく) (sen'yaku): panacea, elixir of life
仙せん(せん)蓼たで(りょう) (senryō): Sarcandra glabra (formerly Chloranthus glaber)
仙人掌さぼてん(さぼてん) (saboten): cactus
仙せん(せん)花はな(か)紙かみ(し) (senkashi): reclaimed paper
仙せん(せん)洞ほら(とう)御お(ご)所ところ(しょ) (sentō gosho): palace of a retired emperor
求もとむ(きゅう)仙せん(せん), 九きゅう(きゅう)仙せん(せん), 気宇きう(きゅう)仙せん(せん) (kyūsen): multicolorfin rainbowfish
詩し(し)仙せん(せん) (shisen): great poet
神かみ(しん)仙せん(せん) (shinsen): immortal mountain wizard, Taoist immortal, supernatural being
酒さけ(しゅ)仙せん(せん) (shusen): heavy drinker
水みず(すい)仙せん(せん) (suisen): daffodil, narcissus
登とう(とう)仙せん(せん) (tōsen): becoming a saint, death of a high-ranking person
銘めい(めい)仙せん(せん) (meisen): meisen silk
腰こし(よう)仙せん(せん) (yōsen): lumbosacral
天てん仙果せんか(いぬびわ) (inubiwa): Ficus erecta, species of fig
鳳おおとり(ほう)仙せん(せん)花はな(か) (hōsenka): balsam
雲くも(うん)仙せん(ぜん)岳たけ(だけ) (Unzendake): mountain in Nagasaki Prefecture
三さん(さん)仙せん(せん)叉また(さ) (sansensa): trident dagger
画が(が)仙せん(せん)紙かみ(し) (gasenshi): drawing paper
中なか(なか)仙せん(せん)道みち(どう) (Nakasendō): Nakasendo, Edo-period Edo-Kyoto highway
阿おもね(あ)仙せん(せん)薬くすり(やく) (asen'yaku): gambir, gambier, catechu, cutch
神かみ(しん)仙せん(せん)思おもえ(し)想そう(そう) (shinsen shisō): Shenxian thought
黄き(き)水みず(ずい)仙せん(せん) (kizuisen), 黄き(き)水みず(すい)仙せん(せん) (kisuisen): jonquil
夏なつ(なつ)水みず(ずい)仙せん(せん) (natsuzuisen): belladonna lily
羽はね(う)化か(か)登とう(とう)仙せん(せん) (uka tōsen): sense of release
鍾(しょう)馗(き)水みず(ずい)仙せん(せん) (shōkizuisen): Lycoris aurea (formerly Lycoris traubii), species of spider lily
喇(らっ)叭(ぱ)水みず(ずい)仙せん(せん) (rappazuisen): trumpet daffodil

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
仙せん
せん Grade: S
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 仙せん (MC sjen, literally “immortal”). Compare modern Mandarin reading xiān and Cantonese reading sin¹.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [sẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

仙せん(せん) • (sen)

a sage or hermit, an enlightened person, usually immortal and ageless
(mythology) short for 仙人せんにん (sennin): a wizard or mage; an immortal living as a hermit in the mountains
by extension, the region or area where a sennin lives
the supernatural techniques for becoming immortal and ageless
a person of exceptional talent

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
仙せん
せんと Grade: S
irregular

Borrowed from English cent.^[1]^[2] The kanji spelling is an example of jukujikun.

For pronunciation and definitions of 仙せん – see the following entry.

【セント】

[noun] [1860] cent (various national currencies, ¹⁄₁₀₀ of a unit)

[noun] [1872] saint

(This term, 仙せん, is an alternative spelling (obsolete) of the above term.)

Usage notes

This word is almost always spelled in katakana as セント.

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語こくご大だい辞典じてん（新装しんそう版ばん） (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林だいじりん (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 仙せん (MC sjen). Recorded as Middle Korean 션 (syen) (Yale: syen) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙くんもう字じ會かい / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰʌ̹n]
Phonetic hangul: [선]

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

仙せん

Wikisource

仙せん (eumhun 신선 선 (sinseon seon))

hanja form^? of 선 (“a sage or hermit, an enlightened person, usually immortal and ageless”)

Compounds

선인 (仙人せんにん, seonin)
선학 (仙せん鶴づる, seonhak)
선녀 (仙女せんにょ, seonnyeo)
선도 (仙道せんどう, seondo)
신선 (神仙しんせん, sinseon, “celestial or divine being; an immortal”)
선인장 (仙人掌さぼてん, seoninjang)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際こくさい退すさ溪けい學會がっかい大邱たいきゅう慶けい北きた支部しぶ) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子でんし字典じてん. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

仙せん: Hán Nôm readings: tiên

Noun

仙せん

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語こくご大だい辞典じてん（新装しんそう版ばん） (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林だいじりん (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]