# 南無
## Chinese
### Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit नमो (namo), the sandhi form of Sanskrit नमस् (namas, literally “a bow”) that appears before words beginning with a voiced consonant, which was presumably common in Buddhist texts.
The modern pronunciations are irregular in order to match the original Sanskrit pronunciation.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): nāmó, námó
    (Zhuyin): ㄋㄚ ㄇㄛˊ, ㄋㄚˊ ㄇㄛˊ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): naa$^1$ mou$^4$ / naa$^1$ mo$^4$
* Gan (Wiktionary): la$^4$ mo$^4$
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lâm-bû / nâ-mô͘
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: nāmó
*** Zhuyin: ㄋㄚ ㄇㄛˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: namó
*** Wade–Giles: na$^1$-mo$^2$
*** Yale: nā-mwó
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nhamo
*** Palladius: намо (namo)
*** Sinological IPA : /nä⁵⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/
** (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: námó
*** Zhuyin: ㄋㄚˊ ㄇㄛˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: námó
*** Wade–Giles: na$^2$-mo$^2$
*** Yale: ná-mwó
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: namo
*** Palladius: намо (namo)
*** Sinological IPA : /nä³⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: naa$^1$ mou$^4$ / naa$^1$ mo$^4$
*** Yale: nā mòuh / nā mòh
*** Cantonese Pinyin: naa$^1$ mou$^4$ / naa$^1$ mo$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: na$^1$ mou$^4$ / na$^1$ mo$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /naː⁵⁵ mou̯²¹/, /naː⁵⁵ mɔː²¹/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: la$^4$ mo$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /la³⁵ mo³⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lâm-bû
*** Tâi-lô: lâm-bû
*** Phofsit Daibuun: lambuu
*** IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /lam²⁴⁻²² bu²⁴/
*** IPA (Taipei): /lam²⁴⁻¹¹ bu²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /lam¹³⁻²² bu¹³/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /lam²³⁻³³ bu²³/
** (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nâ-mô͘
*** Tâi-lô: nâ-môo
*** Phofsit Daibuun: namoo
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /nã²³⁻³³ mɔ̃²³/
*** IPA (Taipei): /nã²⁴⁻¹¹ mɔ̃²⁴/
* Middle Chinese: nom mju
Rime :
| Character | 南 | 無 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 泥 (8) | 明 (4) |
| Final (韻) | 覃 (159) | 虞 (24) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Closed |
| Division (等) | I | III |
| Fanqie | 那含切 | 武夫切 |
| Baxter | nom | mju |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /nʌm/ | /mɨo/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /nəm/ | /mio/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /nɒm/ | /mio/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /nəm/ | /muə̆/ |
| Li Rong | /nᴀm/ | /mio/ |
| Wang Li | /nɒm/ | /mĭu/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /năm/ | /mi̯u/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | nán | wú |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | naam$^4$ | mou$^4$ |

### Verb

南無
* (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith: to salute; to homage or to take refuge (a Buddha or a Bodhisattva).

#### Derived terms

* 南無佛 / 南无佛
* 南無本師釋迦牟尼佛 / 南无本师释迦牟尼佛
* 南無耶 / 南无耶 (námóyé)
* 南無觀世音菩薩 / 南无观世音菩萨
* 南無阿彌陀佛 / 南无阿弥陀佛
* 喃嘸佬 / 喃呒佬

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 南無(なむ) (namu); 南無(なも) (namo)
* → Korean: 나무(南無) (namu)
* → Vietnamese: nam mô (南無)

## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 南 | 無 |
| な Grade: 2 (ateji) | む Grade: 4 (ateji) |
| on'yomi ||
Transliteration of Sanskrit नमो (namo), from Sanskrit नमस् (námas, literally “a bow”), possibly via Middle Chinese 南無 (MC nom mju).
Compare Mandarin 南無 / 南无 (námó).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) なむ [náꜜmù] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [na̠mɯ̟]

#### Phrase

南(な)無(む) • (namu)
* (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith: to salute; to homage or to take refuge (a Buddha or a Bodhisattva).

##### Derived terms

* 南無(なむ)阿弥陀(あみだ) (Namu Amida)
* 南無(なむ)阿弥陀(あみだ)仏(ぶつ) (Namu Amida-butsu)
* 南無阿弥(なむおみ)豆腐(どうふ) (namuomi-dōfu)
* 南無(なむ)帰命(きみょう) (namu kimyō)
* 南無(なむ)三(さん) (namu san)
* 南無(なむ)三宝(さんぼう) (Namu Sanbō)
* 南無(なむ)当来(とうらい)導師(どうし) (Namu Tōrai Dōshi)
* 南無(なむ)妙法(みょうほう)蓮華(れんげ)経(きょう) (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō)

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 南 | 無 |
| な Grade: 2 (ateji) | も Grade: 4 (ateji) |
| on'yomi | tōon |
* Alternative spelling
* 南謨
Likely a borrowing from Mandarin 南無 / 南无 (námó).

#### Phrase

南(な)無(も) • (namo)
* (Buddhism) Used in Buddhist salutations or expressions of faith: to salute; to homage or to take refuge (a Buddha or a Bodhisattva).

### See also

* 帰(き)命(みょう) (kimyō)

### References

* ↑ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

## Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term :
| 南 | 無 |

### Verb

南無
* chữ Hán form of nam mô (“(Buddhism, only in fixed expressions) to salute, to homage or to take refuge (a Buddha or a Bodhisattva)”).