昆こん

See also: 皆みな and 崑こん

昆こん U+6606, 昆 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6606 ← 昅 [U+6605] CJK Unified Ideographs 昇のぼり → [U+6607]

Translingual

Han character

昆こん (Kangxi radical 72, 日ひ+4, 8 strokes, cangjie input 日にち心心こころごころ (APP), four-corner 6071₁, composition ⿱日ひ比ひ)

Derived characters

• 婫, 堒, 惃, 棍, 混こん, 焜, 掍, 錕, 尡, 䛰, 鯤

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 490, character 39
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13792
• Dae Jaweon: page 852, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1489, character 9
• Unihan data for U+6606

Chinese

trad.		昆こん
simp. #		昆こん
alternative forms		晜 𥊽 㒭 𣋥 𧲟

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 昆こん
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (昆こん) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
昆こん	*kuːn
琨	*kuːn
鯤	*kuːn
菎	*kuːn
崐	*kuːn
蜫	*kuːn
惃	*kuːn, *kuːnʔ
錕	*kuːn, *kuːnʔ
猑	*kuːn
騉	*kuːn
緄	*kuːnʔ
輥	*kuːnʔ
棍	*kuːns, *ɡuːnʔ
餛	*ɡuːn
混こん	*ɡuːnʔ
焜	*ɡuːnʔ
倱	*ɡuːnʔ
掍	*ɡuːnʔ
箟	*kʰrun

Pictogram (象形しょうけい) – the body and legs of an insect.

Etymology 1

trad.		昆こん
simp. #		昆こん
alternative forms		蜫 䖵

“elder brother”

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)əw-n (“elder brother; senior male relative”); cognate with 舅しゅうと (OC *ɡuʔ, “maternal uncle”) (Benedict, 1972; STEDT).

Alternatively, it may be related to Middle Mon ကော (kao, “elder brother”), with nominal suffix -n added (Schuessler, 2007).

“descendants; later”

Perhaps from Proto-Mon-Khmer *kuun (“child”); cognate with Min 囝 (“son; child”) (Schuessler, 2007) and with ancient Chu dialect 觀かん (OC *koːn, “child; offspring”) (Ye, 2014); cf. also some rear meanings of the characters 丱 (OC *kroːns, “young child”), 鯤 (OC *kuːn, “roe; fish egg”) and 鰥 (OC *kruːn, “roe”) (ibid.). In modern Wu dialects the character 官かん (OC *koːn) is used to mean "children" (ibid.).

“many; numerous”

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-kul (“twenty; all”); cognate with 群ぐん (OC *ɡlun, “herd; all”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

“quetta-”

Phono-semantic matching of English quetta-. Coined by the China National Committee for Terminology in Science and Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation on World Metrology Day in 2023 (20 May 2023).

昆こん is pronounced with aspirated initial /kʰ/ instead of the expected /k/ in the majority of modern varieties of Chinese. The /k/ sound in 昆こん (MC kwon) was changed to /kʰ/ during its historical development to avoid homophony with 褌ふんどし (MC kwon, “underclothing”), a word that was historically in vernacular use (Hirayama, 2005).

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kūn (kun¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄨㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kwan¹ / gwan¹
• Gan (Wiktionary): kun¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khûn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): kun¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): kung¹
• Northern Min (KCR): kó̤ng
• Eastern Min (BUC): kŏng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khun

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kung¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹khuen
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): kun¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kūn
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄨㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kun
    • Wade–Giles: kʻun¹
    • Yale: kwūn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kuen
    • Palladius: кунь (kunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu̯ən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: kwan¹ / gwan¹
    • Yale: kwān / gwān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kwan¹ / gwan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: kuen¹ / guen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷʰɐn⁵⁵/, /kʷɐn⁵⁵/

Note:

• gwan1 - literary;
• kwan1 - vernacular.

• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: kun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰun⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khûn
    • Hakka Romanization System: kun^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: kun¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰun²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: kun¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰun⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: kung¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kʰũŋ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: kó̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɔŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kŏng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰouŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khun
    • Tâi-lô: khun
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qwn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kʰun⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰun³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰun⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰun⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰun⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kung¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khung
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰuŋ³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹khuen
    • MiniDict: khuen^平ひらた
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹khun
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰuən⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: kun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu̯ən³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: kwon

Rime
Character	昆こん
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲こえ)	見み (28)
Final (韻いん)	魂たましい (55)
Tone (調しらべ)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開ひらき合あい)	Closed
Division (等ひとし)	I
Fanqie	古ふる渾切きり
Baxter	kwon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuən/
Pan Wuyun	/kuon/
Shao Rongfen	/kuən/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwən/
Li Rong	/kuən/
Wang Li	/kuən/
Bernard Karlgren	/kuən/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gūn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gwan1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ˤu[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kuːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	昆こん
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	kūn
Middle Chinese	‹ kwon ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ˁu[n]/
English	elder brother
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	昆こん
Reading #	1/1
No.	7519
Phonetic component	昆こん
Rime group	文ぶん
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	昆こん
Old Chinese	/*kuːn/
Notes	金きむ文ぶん象ぞう日ひ下した二に人ひと比ひ肩かた同どう作さく， 造みやつこ意い同どう眾而省しょう文ぶん， 如夕ゆう月つき異こと語かたり共とも義よし轉てん註例れい

Definitions

昆こん

1. (obsolete) together
2. (literary) elder brother

   • 終おわり遠とお兄弟きょうだい，謂いい他人たにん昆こん。謂いい他人たにん昆こん，亦また莫我わが聞。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     终远兄弟きょうだい，谓他人たにん昆こん。谓他人たにん昆こん，亦また莫我わが闻。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhōng yuàn xiōngdì, wèi tārén kūn. Wèi tārén kūn, yì mò wǒ wén. [Pinyin]

     For ever separated from my brothers,
     I call a stranger elder-brother.
     I call a stranger elder-brother,
     But he will not listen to me.

3. (literary) descendants
4. (obsolete) later
5. (obsolete) many; numerous

   昆こん蟲むし／昆こん虫むし  ―  kūnchóng  ―  insect

6. (obsolete) Alternative form of 焜 (kūn)
7. Short for 昆こん明あきら (Kūnmíng).

   成なり昆こん鐵路てつろ／成なり昆こん铁路  ―  Chéng Kūn Tiělù  ―  Chengdu–Kunming railway

8. a surname
9. (Mainland China) quetta- (SI unit prefix)

   Synonym: 奎 (kuí) (Taiwan)

Compounds

• 公おおやけ昆こん弟おとうと
• 垂たれ裕ひろし後ご昆こん／垂たれ裕ひろし后きさき昆こん
• 寄生きせい昆蟲こんちゅう／寄生きせい昆虫こんちゅう
• 後こう昆こん／后きさき昆こん
• 昆こん仲なか (kūnzhòng)
• 昆こん吾われ
• 昆こん士し蘭らん／昆こん士し兰 (Kūnshìlán)
• 昆こん夷えびす
• 昆こん季き
• 昆布こぶ (kūnbù)
• 昆こん弟おとうと
• 昆こん弟おとうと之の好このみ
• 昆こん明あきら (Kūnmíng)
• 昆こん明あきら池ち
• 昆こん明あきら湖こ (Kūnmíng Hú)
• 昆こん池いけ劫こう灰はい
• 昆こん玉たま (kūnyù)
• 昆蟲こんちゅう／昆虫こんちゅう (kūnchóng)
• 昆蟲こんちゅう學がく／昆虫こんちゅう学がく (kūnchóngxué)
• 昆蟲こんちゅう綱つな／昆虫こんちゅう纲
• 昆こん裔
• 昆こん邪よこしま
• 昆陽こんよう／昆こん阳
• 玉たま昆こん金きむ友とも
• 賢けん昆こん仲なか／贤昆仲なか
• 賢けん昆こん玉たま／贤昆玉だま
• 金きむ友とも玉だま昆こん

 

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hún (hun²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄣˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hún
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hún
    • Wade–Giles: hun²
    • Yale: hwún
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hwen
    • Palladius: хунь (xunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ən³⁵/

Definitions

昆こん

1. Only used in 昆こん侖／昆こん仑 (húnlún), alternative form of 渾淪／浑沦

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hùn (hun⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄣˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wan⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hùn
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄣˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hùn
    • Wade–Giles: hun⁴
    • Yale: hwùn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: huenn
    • Palladius: хунь (xunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ən⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wan⁶
    • Yale: wahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wan⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: wen⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐn²²/

Definitions

昆こん

1. ^† Alternative form of 混こん (“to unite”)
2. 54th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "unity" (𝌻)

Etymology 4

trad.		昆こん
simp. #		昆こん
alternative forms		坤ひつじさる

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kwan¹

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: kwan¹
    • Yale: kwān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kwan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: kuen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷʰɐn⁵⁵/

Definitions

昆こん

1. (Cantonese) to deceive; to fool

Etymology 5

For pronunciation and definitions of 昆こん – see 崑こん. (This character is the simplified and variant traditional form of 崑こん).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

References

• 李り學まなぶ勤つとむ，2012《字源じげん》，天津てんしん：天津てんしん古こ籍せき出版しゅっぱん社しゃ，2013年ねん7月がつ2次じ印刷いんさつ
• “昆こん”, in 漢語かんご多功たこう能のう字じ庫こ (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港ほんこん中ちゅう文ぶん大學だいがく (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

昆こん

(Jōyō kanji)

1. A swarm of or an organism that swarms (e.g. bugs), an organism that forms in large groups (e.g. kombu)
2. elder brother
3. descendants, great-great-great-great grandchild

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: こん (kon, Jōyō)
• Kun: あに (ani, 昆こん)、なかま (nakama)、むれ (mure)
• Nanori: ひ (hi)、ひで (hide)、やす (yasu)

Compounds

Compounds

• 昆虫こんちゅう(こんちゅう) (konchū)
• 昆布こぶ(こんぶ) (konbu)
• 昆こん弟おとうと(こんてい) (kontei)
• 昆こん孫まご(こんそん) (konson)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 昆こん (MC kwon). Recorded as Middle Korean 곤 (kwon) (Yale: kwon) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙くんもう字じ會かい / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource

昆こん (eumhun 맏형 곤 (macheong gon))

1. hanja form^? of 곤 (“swarm”)
2. hanja form^? of 곤 (“the eldest brother”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 곤충 (昆蟲こんちゅう, gonchung)
• 견곤 (堅けん昆こん, Gyeon'gon)
• 곤포 (昆布こぶ, gonpo)
• 곤손 (昆こん孫まご, gonson)

See also

• 곤 (鵾, gon, “swan, among the largest birds”)
• 곤 (猑, gon, “swan, among the largest birds”)
• 곤 (鯤, gon, “dog, a big one”)
• 곤 (混こん, gon, maybe, Huns or Hünen giants)

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. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

昆こん: Hán Việt readings: côn
昆こん: Hán Nôm readings: con, gon

Noun

昆こん • (con)

1. Nôm form of con (“child”).