ろう

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See also:
ろう U+8001, 老
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8001
耀
[U+8000]
CJK Unified Ideographs
[U+8002]
U+2F7C, ⽼
KANGXI RADICAL OLD

[U+2F7B]
Kangxi Radicals
[U+2F7D]
U+F934, 老
CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F934

[U+F933]
CJK Compatibility Ideographs
[U+F935]

Translingual

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Stroke order
6 strokes
Stroke order

Han character

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ろう (Kangxi radical 125, ろう+0, 6 strokes, cangjie input じゅうだいしん (JKP), four-corner 44711, composition )

  1. Kangxi radical #125, .

Derived characters

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 960, character 25
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 28842
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1407, character 8
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2778, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+8001

Chinese

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trad. ろう
simp. # ろう
alternative forms 𠄰
𦒳
𠈣

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character ろう
Shang Western Zhou Spring and Autumn Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming) Libian (compiled in Qing) Kangxi Dictionary (compiled in Qing)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Bronze inscriptions Bronze inscriptions Chu slip and silk script Qin slip script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts Clerical script Ming typeface

Ideogrammic compound (會意かいい会意かいい) : ひと (man) + もう (hair) + (cane) – a man with long hair (an old man), leaning on a cane. Compare top component to こう (OC *qʰruːs).

Cognate to こう (OC *kʰluːʔ); the most commonly cited example of 轉注てんちゅう (“reciprocal meaning”).

Etymology

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Unknown. Compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-raw (withered, residue, corpse), *rwat (stiff, tough), whence Burmese ရော် (rau, wither, become overripe; age), ရွတ် (rwat, old, stiff, tough). See also ふる (), ().

An old Sino-Vietnamese borrowing is rệu (overripe, pulpy).

Pronunciation

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Note:
  • sē, la̿u, lo̤̿ - vernacular;
  • lǎu - literary.
Note:
  • lâu - vernacular;
  • lō̤ - literary.
Note:
  • lāu/lǎu - vernacular;
  • láu - vernacular (sometimes considered literary);
  • làu - vernacular (limited, e.g. ろう);
  • lǎ - vernacular (limited, e.g. ろうみさご);
  • ló/ló͘/nó͘ - literary.
Note:
  • lao6 - vernacular;
  • lao2 - literary.

Rime
Character ろう
Reading # 1/1
Initial (こえ) (37)
Final (いん) ごう (89)
Tone (調しらべ) Rising (X)
Openness (ひらきあい) Open
Division (ひとし) I
Fanqie きり
Baxter lawX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/lɑuX/
Pan
Wuyun
/lɑuX/
Shao
Rongfen
/lɑuX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/lawX/
Li
Rong
/lɑuX/
Wang
Li
/lɑuX/
Bernard
Karlgren
/lɑuX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
lǎo
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
lou5
BaxterSagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character ろう
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
lǎo
Middle
Chinese
‹ lawX ›
Old
Chinese
/*C.rˁuʔ/
English old

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 ろう
Reading # 1/1
No. 7666
Phonetic
component
ろう
Rime
group
かそけ
Rime
subdivision
1
Corresponding
MC rime
ろう
Old
Chinese
/*ruːʔ/

Definitions

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ろう

  1. old; aged; elderly
    Antonyms: よう, すくな
    ろうろう  ―  lǎoshù  ―  old tree
    ろう婦人ふじんろう妇人  ―  lǎo fùrén  ―  old woman
    ひとろうりょう記憶きおくりょくりょう [MSC, trad.]
    ひとろうりょう记忆りょくりょう [MSC, simp.]
    Rén lǎo le jìyìlì jiù chā le. [Pinyin]
    One's memory worsens when age increases.
  2. old (as opposed to new); of long standing
    Antonym: しん (xīn)
    ろううた  ―  lǎo  ―  old song
    ろう朋友ほうゆう  ―  lǎopéngyǒu  ―  old friend
  3. outdated; old-fashioned
  4. original; former
    ろう地方ちほう  ―  lǎo dìfāng  ―  usual place
    ろうもとこう  ―  lǎo běnháng  ―  original profession
  5. the elderly; one's elders
    けいろう  ―  jìnglǎo  ―  to respect the elderly
  6. Used after the surname of an old person to address a venerable old person
    おうろう  ―  Wáng lǎo  ―  revered old Wang
  7. (figurative) experienced
    Antonym: (nèn)
    ろう  ―  lǎoshǒu  ―  an old hand
    ろうへい  ―  lǎobīng  ―  veteran
  8. (literary) to respect (the elderly, one's elders)
  9. (of cooked food) overcooked; tough; stringy; hard
    うしはいふとしろうりょうわがどう [MSC, trad.]
    うしはいふとしろうりょうわが [MSC, simp.]
    Niúpái tài lǎo le, wǒ yǎo bù dòng tā. [Pinyin]
    The steak was so tough I couldn't eat it.
    雞蛋ろうりょうぼつ掌握しょうあくこのみこう [MSC, trad.]
    鸡蛋ろうりょうぼつ掌握しょうあくこのみこう [MSC, simp.]
    Zhè jīdàn zhǔ lǎo le, nǐ méi zhǎngwò hǎo huǒhòu. [Pinyin]
    This egg is hard; you didn't time it properly.
  10. (of food or potable liquids) stale; not fresh
  11. always; all the time
    べつろう這樣ろう这样  ―  Nǐ bié lǎo zhèyàng!  ―  Stop being always like this!
  12. (chiefly dialectal) very; quite
    ろうはや  ―  lǎozǎo  ―  very early
    ひとろうこのみりょう  ―  Tā rén lǎo hǎo le.  ―  He is such a nice person! [colloquial, somewhat regional]
    いたわし真個しんころうひらくこころ [Shanghainese, trad.]
    いたろう开心 [Shanghainese, simp.]
    5khoe-tau 6non 1tsen-gheq 6lau 1khe-shin-gheq [Wugniu]
    I am really happy to see you.
  13. (euphemistic, of an elderly person) to die; to pass away (usually with りょう (le) or (diào))
  14. (endearing, respectful) Used before surnames to refer to heads or elder members of families.
    しょう (xiǎo) (for younger people)
    ろうちょう馬上もうえりょうわがとく趕緊收拾しゅうしゅういちした [MSC, trad.]
    ろう马上りょうわがとく赶紧收拾しゅうしゅういちした [MSC, simp.]
    Lǎo Zhāng mǎshàng lái le, wǒ děi gǎnjǐn shōushí yī xià wū zǐ. [Pinyin]
    Old Zhang is going to be here any minute. I need to hurry up and straighten the room up a bit.
  15. (usually respectful and endearing) Used by analogy in several other relationship terms.
    ろうろう  ―  lǎoshī  ―  teacher
    ろうばば  ―  lǎo  ―  wifey
    ろうおおやけ  ―  lǎogōng  ―  hubby
  16. (obsolete, originally honorific) Prefix for animals or people considered senior, fierce, and often awe-inspiring.
    ろうたかろう  ―  lǎoyīng  ―  eagle
    ろうとら  ―  lǎo  ―  tiger
    ろうねずみ  ―  lǎoshǔ  ―  mouse, rat; (obsolete) bat
    ろうおおかみ  ―  lǎoláng  ―  (rare) elder and experienced wolf
    ろうろうねこ  ―  lǎomāo  ―  (rare) elder (potentially annoying) cat
    ろう狐狸こり  ―  lǎohúlí  ―  (surviving usage) elder, cunning and experienced fox
    ろう傢夥ろういえ  ―  lǎojiāhuǒ  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    ろう東西とうざいろう东西  ―  lǎodōngxī  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    ろうざつろう杂碎  ―  lǎozásuì  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  17. (Cantonese, colloquial) Prefix for nouns with negative impressions or connotations.
    ろうつよろうつよ [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou5 koeng4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  rape
    ろうさく [Cantonese]  ―  lou5 zok3 [Jyutping]  ―  made-up
    はつろうろう [Cantonese]  ―  faat3 lou5 pei4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to get angry
    ろうかい [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou5 gaai2 [Jyutping]  ―  People's Liberation Army
  18. (Cantonese, colloquial) Prefix for nouns to express familiarity.
    ろうとんが [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou5 zim1 [Jyutping]  ―  Tsim Sha Tsui
    ろうどうろう [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou5 tung4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  Causeway Bay
  19. (colloquial) Used before nouns, especially names of ethnicities, places and countries, to form nouns.
    ろうそと  ―  lǎowài  ―  foreigner; (pejorative) layman, one who lacks knowledge of a subject
    ろうよし  ―  lǎoměi  ―  Yank
    ろうひょう  ―  lǎobiǎo  ―  a friend (direct speech, may be intimate or offensive depending on provinces)
    ろうもう  ―  lǎomáozi  ―  (pejorative) Russian person
    ろうこうむふる  ―  lǎoménggǔ  ―  (pejorative) Mongols
    ろう北京ぺきん  ―  lǎoběijīng  ―  indigenous Beijing person
    ろう山東さんとうろうやま  ―  lǎoshāndōng  ―  indigenous Shandong person
    ろう西にしろう西にし  ―  lǎoxīr  ―  (affectionate) Shanxi person
    ろうかいかい  ―  lǎohuíhuí  ―  Hui person (affectionate in some cases, pejorative in other cases, never neutral, depend on the region, speaker, listener situation and speaking mood)
  20. Short for 老子ろうし (Lǎozǐ, “Laozi; Lao Tzu”).
  21. (Mainland China, Hong Kong) Short for ろうろう (Lǎowō, “Laos”).

Synonyms

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  • (old):
edit
  • (very):
  • (to die):

Antonyms

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Compounds

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Descendants

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Sino-Xenic (ろう):
  • Korean: /(ろう) (ro/no)
  • Vietnamese: lão (ろう)

References

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Japanese

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Kanji

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ろう

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. old age, an elderly person, the aged, the elderly

Readings

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Compounds

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Korean

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Etymology

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From Middle Chinese ろう (MC lawX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 로ᇢ〯 (Yale: lwǒw)
Middle Korean
Text Eumhun
Gloss (hun) Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2] 늘글〮 (Yale: nùlkúl) 로〯 (Yale: lwŏ)

Pronunciation

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

Hanja

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ろう (eumhun 늙을 (neulgeul ro), word-initial (South Korea) 늙을 (neulgeul no))

  1. hanja form? of / (old) [affix; suffix]

Compounds

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Vietnamese

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Han character

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ろう: Hán Việt readings: lão[1][2][3]
ろう: Nôm readings: lảo[1][3][4], lảu[1][3][4], lão[1][2], lẽo[1][3], láu[3][4], rảu[3][4], láo[1], lạo[1], não[1], rau[1], sáu[1], lểu[2], lếu[3], lẩu[3]

  1. chữ Hán form of lão (old; aged).

Compounds

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References

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