# 梁

| 梁 | U+6881, &#26753; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6881 |
| ← 梀 [U+6880] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 梂 → [U+6882] |
| 梁 | U+F97A, &#63866; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F97A |
| ← 凉 [U+F979] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs | 糧 → [U+F97B] |

## Translingual

| Traditional | 梁 |
| Simplified | 梁 |
| Japanese | 梁 |
| Korean | 梁 |

### Han character

梁 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+7, 11 strokes, cangjie input 水金木 (ECD) or 水戈木 (EID), four-corner 3390$_4$, composition ⿱⿰氵刅朩(T) or ⿱⿰氵刅木(GHJKV))

#### Derived characters

* 墚, 樑, 𮌹, 𥛫, 𮃡, 𮇹, 𨄈, 𨎛, 𨫟, 𬪔, 𮭊, 簗

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 528, character 1
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14825
* Dae Jaweon: page 916, character 18
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1220, character 5
* Unihan data for U+6881
* Unihan data for U+F97A

## Chinese

* 梁 (Written Standard Chinese)
* 梁姓 (Written Standard Chinese)
* 梁 (Cantonese)
* 梁 (Classical)
* Liang (surname) (English)

### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 梁 :
| Western Zhou | Warring States | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Bronze inscriptions | Chu slip and silk script | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 梁 | *raŋ |
| 粱 | *raŋ |
| 刱 | *sʰraŋs |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *raŋ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 刅 (OC *sʰraŋ) + semantic 木 (“wood”) — a bridge.

### Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Are the noun senses related to the proper noun senses?”)

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): liáng (liang$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄤˊ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): loeng$^4$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): liang$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): liòng
    (Hailu, HRS): liong
    (Meixian, Guangdong): liong$^2$
* Eastern Min (BUC): liòng
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): nieo$^2$ / niu$^2$ / lyong$^2$ / lyeng$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): niû / niô͘ / liông / liâng
    (Teochew, Peng'im): nion$^5$ / niên$^5$ / liang$^5$
    (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): lio$^5$ / liang$^5$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$lian
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): lian$^2$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: liáng
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄤˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: liáng
*** Wade–Giles: liang$^2$
*** Yale: lyáng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liang
*** Palladius: лян (ljan)
*** Sinological IPA : /li̯ɑŋ³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: loeng$^4$
*** Yale: lèuhng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: loeng$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: lêng$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /lœːŋ²¹/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: liang$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /liaŋ²²/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: liòng
*** Hakka Romanization System: liong$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: liong$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /li̯oŋ¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: liong
*** Sinological IPA: /lioŋ⁵⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: liong$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /liɔŋ¹¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: liòng
*** Sinological IPA : /l̃uoŋ⁵³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: nieo$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /nieu¹³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: niu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /niu¹³/
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: lyong$^2$
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: lió̤ng
*** Sinological IPA : /lyɒŋ¹³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: lyeng$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /lyøŋ¹³/
* nieo2/niu2 - vernacular;
* lyong2/lyeng2 - literary.
* Middle Chinese: ljang
Rime :
| Character | 梁 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 來 (37) |
| Final (韻) | 陽 (105) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 呂章切 |
| Baxter | ljang |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /lɨɐŋ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /liɐŋ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /liɑŋ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /lɨaŋ/ |
| Li Rong | /liaŋ/ |
| Wang Li | /lĭaŋ/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /li̯aŋ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | liáng |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | loeng$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*raŋ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*raŋ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 梁 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | liáng |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ ljang › |
| Old Chinese | /*raŋ/ |
| English | beam; bridge |
| 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 | 梁 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 1648 |
| Phonetic component | 刅 |
| Rime group | 陽 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 良 |
| Old Chinese | /*raŋ/ |

### Definitions

梁
* Alternative form of 樑 (liáng, “bridge; roof beam; ridge”); also the simplified form.
* (historical) state of Liang
** An ancient Chinese state during the Spring and Autumn period
** The State of Wei during the Warring States period, after moving its capital to Daliang
    From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
    Mèngzǐ jiàn Liáng Huì Wáng. [Pinyin]
    Mencius went to see king Hui of Liang.
** A kingdom during the Han dynasty
** One of two ancient Chinese states during the end of the Sui dynasty
* (historical) Liang dynasty
** Liang, one of the Southern Dynasties
** Later Liang of the Five Dynasties
* a surname
    梁山伯 ― Liáng Shānbó ― Liang Shanbo (in the legend of Butterfly Lovers)
    梁啟超／梁启超 ― Liáng Qǐchāo ― Liang Qichao (Chinese intellectual and politician who lived during the late Qing dynasty and the early Republic of China)

#### Synonyms

* (state of Wei): 魏 (wèi), 魏國／魏国 (Wèiguó)
* (state): 梁國 (Liángguó)
* (dynasty): 梁朝 (Liángcháo)
* (Southern Liang): 南梁 (Nánliáng), 蕭梁 (Xiāoliáng)
* (Later Liang): 後梁 (Hòuliáng), 朱梁 (Zhūliáng)

#### See also

Dynasties (朝代) in Chinese history :
| Name | Time period | Divisions | Divisions |
| Xia 夏 (～朝, ～代) | 2070 – 1600 BCE | | |
| Shang 商 (～朝, ～代) 殷 (～朝, ～代) | 1600 – 1046 BCE | | |
| Zhou 周 (～朝, ～代) | 1046 – 256 BCE | Western Zhou 西周 | |
| Zhou 周 (～朝, ～代) | 1046 – 256 BCE | Eastern Zhou 東周 / 东周 | Spring and Autumn period 春秋 |
| Zhou 周 (～朝, ～代) | 1046 – 256 BCE | Eastern Zhou 東周 / 东周 | Warring States period 戰國 / 战国 |
| Qin 秦 (～朝, ～代) | 221 – 206 BCE | | |
| Han 漢 / 汉 (～朝, ～代) | 206 BCE – 220 C.E. | Western Han 西漢 / 西汉 | Western Han 西漢 / 西汉 |
| Xin 新 (～朝) ||
| Eastern Han 東漢 / 东汉 ||
| Three Kingdoms 三國 / 三国 | 220 – 280 C.E. | Wei 魏 | Wei 魏 |
| Shu Han 蜀漢 / 蜀汉 ||
| Wu 吳 / 吴 ||
| Jin 晉 / 晋 (～朝, ～代) | 265 – 420 C.E. | Western Jin 西晉 / 西晋 | Western Jin 西晉 / 西晋 |
| Eastern Jin 東晉 / 东晋 ||
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Northern dynasties 北朝 | Northern Wei 北魏 |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Northern dynasties 北朝 | Western Wei 西魏 |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Northern dynasties 北朝 | Eastern Wei 東魏 / 东魏 |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Northern dynasties 北朝 | Northern Zhou 北周 |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Northern dynasties 北朝 | Northern Qi 北齊 / 北齐 |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Southern dynasties 南朝 | Liu Song 劉宋 / 刘宋 |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Southern dynasties 南朝 | Southern Qi 南齊 / 南齐 |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Southern dynasties 南朝 | Liang 梁 (～朝, ～代) |
| Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 | 420 – 589 C.E. | Southern dynasties 南朝 | Chen 陳 / 陈 (～朝, ～代) |
| Sui 隋 (～朝, ～代) | 581 – 618 C.E. | | |
| Tang 唐 (～朝, ～代) | 618 – 907 C.E. | | |
| Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國 / 五代十国 | 907 – 960 C.E. | | |
| Liao 遼 / 辽 (～朝, ～代) | 907 – 1125 C.E. | | |
| Song 宋 (～朝, ～代) | 960 – 1279 C.E. | Northern Song 北宋 | Northern Song 北宋 |
| Southern Song 南宋 ||
| Western Xia 西夏 | 1038 – 1227 C.E. | | |
| Jin 金 (～朝, ～代) | 1115 – 1234 C.E. | | |
| Western Liao 西遼 / 西辽 | 1124 – 1218 C.E. | | |
| Yuan 元 (～朝, ～代) | 1271 – 1368 C.E. | | |
| Ming 明 (～朝, ～代) | 1368 – 1644 C.E. | | |
| Qing 清 (～朝, ～代) | 1636 – 1912 C.E. | | |

#### Descendants

* → Korean: 양(梁) (Yang)
* → Vietnamese: Lương (梁)
Others:
* → Bouyei: Liangz, Liangf
* → English: Liang, Leung, Leong, Neo, Leo
* → Zhuang: Liengz

### Compounds

* 上梁 (shàngliáng)
* 上梁不正
* 上梁不正下梁歪 (shàngliáng bùzhèng xiàliáng wāi)
* 上梁文
* 偷梁換柱 (tōuliánghuànzhù)
* 光脊梁
* 刺股懸梁
* 刺骨懸梁
* 卑梁之釁
* 呂梁山
* 國家棟梁 / 国家栋梁
* 大廈棟梁 / 大厦栋梁
* 大梁 (Dàliáng)
* 小醜跳梁
* 屋梁 (wūliáng)
* 山梁 (shānliáng)
* 平梁
* 康梁
* 強梁 (qiángliáng)
* 彊梁
* 彫梁畫棟 / 雕梁画栋
* 後梁 (Hòuliáng)
* 懸梁 (xuánliáng)
* 懸梁刺股 (xuánliángcìgǔ)
* 懸梁刺骨
* 戳脊梁骨
* 扛大梁 (káng dàliáng)
* 挑大梁
* 挑正梁
* 提梁 (tíliáng)
* 摶柱乘梁
* 撫梁易柱
* 朝梁暮晉
* 朝梁暮陳
* 杠梁
* 杞梁妻
* 柏梁臺
* 柏梁詩
* 柏梁體
* 架海金梁
* 梁上君子 (liángshàngjūnzǐ)
* 梁倡
* 梁園
* 梁園宴雪
* 梁子 (liángzi)
* 梁子湖 (Liángzihú)
* 梁孟
* 梁家畈 (Liángjiāfàn)
* 梁山 (Liángshān)
* 梁山泊
* 梁州 (Liángzhōu)
* 梁惠王
* 梁敬帝
* 梁昌
* 梁書 (Liáng Shū)
* 梁木其壞
* 梁柱 (liángzhù)
* 梁架
* 梁案
* 梁棟
* 梁武帝
* 梁父吟
* 梁父山 (Liángfǔshān)
* 梁獄上書 / 梁狱上书
* 梁皇寶懺 / 梁皇宝忏
* 梁皇懺
* 梁祝 (Liáng-Zhù)
* 梁簡文帝
* 梁輈
* 梁鴻五噫
* 梁麗
* 梁龍
* 棟梁 (dòngliáng)
* 棟梁之任
* 棟梁之材
* 棟梁之臣
* 椽梁
* 橫梁 (héngliáng)
* 橋梁 (qiáoliáng)
* 歌聲繞梁 / 歌声绕梁
* 汴梁 (Biànliáng)
* 沒梁桶
* 沒脊梁
* 泰山梁木
* 河梁
* 津梁 (jīnliáng)
* 浮梁 (Fúliáng)
* 漁梁
* 澤梁
* 濠梁
* 烏梁海 (Wūliánghǎi)
* 無梁斗
* 玳梁
* 玳瑁梁
* 畫梁雕棟 / 画梁雕栋
* 畫棟雕梁 / 画栋雕梁
* 石梁河 (Shíliánghé)
* 磨脊梁
* 穀梁 (Gǔliáng)
* 穀梁傳 / 谷梁传 (Gǔliángzhuàn)
* 結梁子
* 繞梁 (ràoliáng)
* 繞梁三日 (ràoliángsānrì)
* 繞梁之音
* 繞梁韻永 / 绕梁韵永
* 背梁骨
* 脊梁
* 脊梁骨
* 落月屋梁
* 豎柱上梁
* 豎起脊梁
* 跳梁 (tiàoliáng)
* 跳梁小丑 (tiàoliángxiǎochǒu)
* 通梁 (Tōngliáng)
* 逼上梁山 (bīshàngliángshān)
* 過梁
* 鈑梁
* 鑿壁懸梁 / 凿壁悬梁
* 長梁 (Chángliáng)
* 陸梁 (lùliáng)
* 雕梁畫柱
* 雕梁畫棟 / 雕梁画栋
* 頂梁柱 (dǐngliángzhù)
* 飛梁
* 餘妙繞梁 / 余妙绕梁
* 餘音繞梁 / 余音绕梁
* 餘響繞梁 / 余响绕梁
* 高梁 (gāoliáng)
* 魚梁
* 鼻梁 (bíliáng)
* 鼻無梁柱
* 齊梁世界
* 齊梁體 / 齐梁体

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

#### Readings

* Kan-on: りょう (ryō)
* Kun: はり (hari, 梁)、うつばり (utsubari, 梁)、やな (yana, 梁)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 梁
* うつばり Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese 梁 (utupari); attested phonetically in Old Japanese in the Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki of 794, with the spelling 宇都波利.
Likely a compound of 内 (utsu-, “inside”, bound form) +‎ 張り (hari, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of 張る (haru, “to stick; to spread”)), as suggested by various works.
Alternatively, the initial utsu- is connected to utsu-, spelled variously in addition to 内 (“inside”) as 全 (“all of which is contained in a group”), 空, 虚 (“an inner hollow or empty space; an inner void”), which are likely cognates.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) うつばり [ùtsúbárí] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [ɯ̟t͡sɨba̠ɾʲi]

#### Noun

梁(うつばり) • (utsubari)
* a beam
* (figuratively) the central figure or person, a pillar

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 梁
* はり Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
Attested in the Muromachi period.
The late attestation in Middle Japanese suggests that this might have been an abbreviation of 梁 (utsubari), also pronounced utsuhari in older texts.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) はり [hàríꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
* IPA: [ha̠ɾʲi]

#### Noun

梁(はり) • (hari)
* beam, joist

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 梁
* やな Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 簗
From Old Japanese 梁 (yana). Attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720.
There are various theories, such as a derivation from 屋魚 (ya na, “house of a fish”), やる魚 (yaru na, “a fish to be done”), an abbreviation of 梁簀 (yanasu), and a shift from 板庭 (itaniwa).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) やな [yáꜜnà] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [ja̠na̠]

#### Noun

梁(やな) • (yana)
* fish trap, fish weir

### Etymology 4

* Kanji in this term
* 梁
* りょう Jinmeiyō
* kan'on
From Middle Chinese 梁 (MC ljang).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) りょー [ryóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [ɾʲo̞ː]

#### Proper noun

梁(りょう) • (Ryō)
* (historical) Liang

### References

* ↑ Omodaka, Hisataka (1967) 時代別国語大辞典 上代編 [The dictionary of historical Japanese: Old Japanese] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN, page 124
* 1 2 3 4 “うつ‐ばり 【梁】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here The 語源説 (gogensetsu, “etymological theory”) section gives the following theories: ウチバリ（内張）の転〔名語記・桑家漢語抄所引秘授抄・和句解・日本釈名・東雅・万葉集類林・家屋雑考・大言海〕。 ウツハリ（全張）の義〔名言通・和訓栞〕。 ウツハリ（空張）の義〔言元梯〕。ウツハリギ（空張木）の下略〔日本語原学＝林甕臣〕。
* 1 2 3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* 1 2 “はり 【梁】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
* ↑ Omodaka, Hisataka (1967) 時代別国語大辞典 上代編 [The dictionary of historical Japanese: Old Japanese] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN, page 764
* 1 2 3 “やな 【梁・簗】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here The 語源説 (gogensetsu, “etymological theory”) section gives the following theories: ヤナ（屋魚）の義〔名言通・和訓栞・大言海〕。 魚がもれないようにするところからヤルナの義か〔和句解〕。 ヤナス（梁簀）の略〔国語の語根とその分類＝大島正健〕。 イタニハ（板庭）の反〔名語記〕。
* ↑ “りょう［リャウ］ 【梁】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 梁 (MC ljang). Recorded as Middle Korean 랴ᇰ (lyang) (Yale: lyang) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Hanja

Wikisource 梁 (eumhun 들보 량 (deulbo ryang), word-initial (South Korea) 들보 양 (deulbo yang))
* hanja form of 량/양 (“beam; bridge”)

#### Compounds

* 교량 (橋梁, gyoryang)
* 도량 (跳梁, doryang)
* 양산 (梁山, Yangsan)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

梁: Hán Nôm readings: lương
* Chữ Hán form of Lương (“a surname from Chinese”).