# 蒟蒻
## Chinese
### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): jǔruò
    (Zhuyin): ㄐㄩˇ ㄖㄨㄛˋ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): geoi$^2$ joek$^6$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^5$ciu-zaq
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: jǔruò
*** Zhuyin: ㄐㄩˇ ㄖㄨㄛˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: jyǔruò
*** Wade–Giles: chü$^3$-jo$^4$
*** Yale: jyǔ-rwò
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jeuruoh
*** Palladius: цзюйжо (czjujžo)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: geoi$^2$ joek$^6$
*** Yale: géui yeuhk
*** Cantonese Pinyin: goey$^2$ joek$^9$
*** Guangdong Romanization: gêu$^2$ yêg$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /kɵy̯³⁵ jœːk̚²/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^5$ciu-zaq
*** MiniDict: ciu$^去$ zah
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^2$jy-zaq
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕy³³ zaʔ⁴⁴/
* Middle Chinese: kjuX|kjuH nyak
Rime :
| Character | 蒟 | 蒟 | 蒻 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 見 (28) | 見 (28) | 日 (38) |
| Final (韻) | 虞 (24) | 虞 (24) | 藥 (107) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) | Departing (H) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Closed | Closed | Open |
| Division (等) | III | III | III |
| Fanqie | 俱雨切 | 九遇切 | 而灼切 |
| Baxter | kjuX | kjuH | nyak |
| Reconstructions ||||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /kɨo$^X$/ | /kɨo$^H$/ | /ȵɨɐk̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /kio$^X$/ | /kio$^H$/ | /ȵiɐk̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /kio$^X$/ | /kio$^H$/ | /ȵʑiɑk̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /kuə̆$^X$/ | /kuə̆$^H$/ | /ȵɨak̚/ |
| Li Rong | /kio$^X$/ | /kio$^H$/ | /ȵiak̚/ |
| Wang Li | /kĭu$^X$/ | /kĭu$^H$/ | /ȵʑĭak̚/ |
| Bernard Karlgren | /ki̯u$^X$/ | /ki̯u$^H$/ | /ȵʑi̯ak̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | jǔ | jù | ruò |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | geoi$^2$ | geoi$^3$ | joek$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Zhengzhang): /*koʔ|kos njewɢ/
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 蒟 | 蒟 | 蒻 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 | 1/1 |
| No. | 7101 | 7106 | 10949 |
| Phonetic component | 句 | 句 | 弱 |
| Rime group | 侯 | 侯 | 藥 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 矩 | 屨 | 若 |
| Old Chinese | /*koʔ/ | /*kos/ | /*njewɢ/ |

### Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

#### Noun

蒟蒻
* 蒟蒻 (Written Standard Chinese)
* Konjac (English)
* konjac (foul-smelling plant grown in Asia, Amorphophallus konjac)
* (literary, rare) betel and bulrush
    From: Western Jin dynasty, 左思, 蜀都賦
    qí yuán zé yǒu jǔruò zhūyú [Pinyin]
    The garden has betel and bulrush, as well as zhuyu

##### Synonyms

* (konjac): 魔芋 (móyù), 蒻頭／蒻头 (ruòtóu)

### Etymology 2

Pun on 巨弱 (jù ruò, “very weak”).

#### Noun

蒟蒻
* (Mainland China, slang, usually self-deprecatory) inexperienced competitor in Chinese science Olympiads (especially informatics olympiads, such as NOI and NOIP)

## Japanese

Kanji in this term :
| 蒟 | 蒻 |
| こん Hyōgai | にゃく Hyōgai |
| kan'yōon | goon |
* Alternative spelling
* 菎蒻

### Etymology

Probably from Old Japanese, in turn from Middle Chinese 蒟蒻 (MC kjuX|kjuH nyak). The plant is not native to the Japanese archipelago, and was imported from China.
First cited to the 本草和名 (Honsō Wamyō) of circa 918 CE with the reading konyaku. The geminate reading konnyaku is first cited to a text from 1336.

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) こんにゃく [kòńnyáꜜkù] (Nakadaka – [3])
* (Tokyo) こんにゃく [kòńnyákúꜜ] (Odaka – [4])
* IPA: [kõ̞ɲ̟ːa̠kɯ̟]

### Noun

蒟(こん)蒻(にゃく) or 蒟蒻(コンニャク) • (konnyaku)
* [from 918] 蒟蒻, 菎蒻: konjac (both the plant and the food made from the plant)
* [from 1775] 蒟蒻: (slang) Short for 蒟蒻島 (Konnyaku-jima): obsolete name for the 新川 (Shingawa) area in modern-day 中央区 (Chūō-ku, “Central Ward”) in Tokyo

#### Usage notes

* Not to be confused with コニャック (konyakku, “cognac”).

### References

* 1 2 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

### Further reading

* Entry at Gogen-Allguide (in Japanese)