# 焉

| 焉 | U+7109, &#28937; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7109 |
| ← 焈 [U+7108] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 焊 → [U+710A] |

## Translingual
### Han character

焉 (Kangxi radical 86, 火+7, 11 strokes, cangjie input 一卜中火 (MYLF), four-corner 1032$_7$, composition ⿱正⿹⿺㇉一灬)

#### Derived characters

* 傿, 嘕, 墕, 嫣, 㥼, 𢳃, 漹, 𨻳, 㯊, 𣩙, 𤎄, 𭿖, 䗡, 𧽞, 鄢, 蔫, 篶

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 672, character 21
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 19076
* Dae Jaweon: page 1081, character 4
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2206, character 14
* Unihan data for U+7109

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 焉 :
| Warring States | Warring States | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) |
| Bronze inscriptions | Qin slip script | Small seal script |
| | Old Chinese |
| 嘕 | *qʰran |
| 嫣 | *qʰran, *qran, *qranʔ, *qans |
| 焉 | *qran, *ɢan, *qan |
| 鄢 | *qran, *qanʔ, *qans |
| 蔫 | *qran, *qan |
| 漹 | *ɢan, *qans |
| 傿 | *qans |
Possibly phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *qran, *ɢan, *qan): phonetic 正 (OC *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs) + semantic 鳥 (“bird”) ― a kind of bird.

### Etymology
#### “in it; on it; here”

    From 於 (OC *qa) + *-n (“demonstrative suffix”), an element equivalent to 之 (“him; her; it”) (Schuessler, 2007; Pulleyblank, 1995). Smith, 2012 identifies this latter element as 是 (OC *djeʔ), with d canonicalized to n in coda. Compare 爰 (OC *ɢʷan).

#### “where; how”

    Probably a variant of 安 (OC *qaːn, “where; how”) (Schuessler, 2007).

### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): yān (yan$^1$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jin$^4$
* Eastern Min (BUC): iòng
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ian / iàn
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: yān
*** Zhuyin: ㄧㄢ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: yan
*** Wade–Giles: yen$^1$
*** Yale: yān
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ian
*** Palladius: янь (janʹ)
*** Sinological IPA : /jɛn⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jin$^4$
*** Yale: yìhn
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jin$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yin$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /jiːn²¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: iòng
*** Sinological IPA : /yoŋ⁵³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ian
*** Tâi-lô: ian
*** Phofsit Daibuun: iefn
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /iɛn³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iɛn⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iàn
*** Tâi-lô: iàn
*** Phofsit Daibuun: iexn
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /iɛn²¹/
*** IPA (Taipei): /iɛn¹¹/
* Middle Chinese: hjen
Rime :
| Character | 焉 |
| Reading # | 3/3 |
| Initial (聲) | 云 (35) |
| Final (韻) | 仙 (79) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 有乾切 |
| Baxter | hjen |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ɦˠiᴇn/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ɦᵚiɛn/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ɣiæn/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ɦian/ |
| Li Rong | /ɣjɛn/ |
| Wang Li | /ɣĭɛn/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /i̯ɛn/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | yán |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jin$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ʔ]a[n]/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ɢan/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 焉 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | yān |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ hjen › |
| Old Chinese | /*[ʔ]a[n]/ (atonic) |
| English | (3p locative pronoun) |
| 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 | 焉 |
| Reading # | 2/3 |
| No. | 14232 |
| Phonetic component | 焉 |
| Rime group | 元 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 漹 |
| Old Chinese | /*ɢan/ |

#### Definitions

焉
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) a kind of yellow bird, found around the Yangtze and Huai Rivers
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) in it; on it; to it; from it; by it; than it; here
    From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
    Zhòng wù zhī, bì chá yān; zhòng hào zhī, bì chá yān. [Pinyin]
    When the multitude hate a man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude like a man, it is necessary to examine into the case.
    From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
    Jìnguó, tiānxià mò qiáng yān. [Pinyin]
    As for Jin, in this world there used to be no country stronger than it.
    From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
    Yú shèn huò yān. [Pinyin]
    I feel much perplexed by this.
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Final modal particle, used to show a particular state or express affirmation, doubt or exclamation.
    Synonyms: 哉 (zāi), 乎
    From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
    Cǐ hé yǐ chēng yān? [Pinyin]
    How would one explain it?

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): yān (yan$^1$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jin$^1$
* Eastern Min (BUC): iŏng
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ian / iàn
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: yān
*** Zhuyin: ㄧㄢ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: yan
*** Wade–Giles: yen$^1$
*** Yale: yān
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ian
*** Palladius: янь (janʹ)
*** Sinological IPA : /jɛn⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jin$^1$
*** Yale: yīn
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jin$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yin$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /jiːn⁵⁵/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: iŏng
*** Sinological IPA : /yoŋ⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ian
*** Tâi-lô: ian
*** Phofsit Daibuun: iefn
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /iɛn³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iɛn⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iàn
*** Tâi-lô: iàn
*** Phofsit Daibuun: iexn
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /iɛn²¹/
*** IPA (Taipei): /iɛn¹¹/
* Middle Chinese: 'jen, 'jon
Rime :
| Character | 焉 | 焉 |
| Reading # | 2/3 | 1/3 |
| Initial (聲) | 影 (34) | 影 (34) |
| Final (韻) | 仙 (79) | 元 (65) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | III | III |
| Fanqie | 於乾切 | 謁言切 |
| Baxter | 'jen | 'jon |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ʔˠiᴇn/ | /ʔɨɐn/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ʔᵚiɛn/ | /ʔiɐn/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ʔiæn/ | /ʔiɐn/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ʔian/ | /ʔɨan/ |
| Li Rong | /ʔjɛn/ | /ʔiɐn/ |
| Wang Li | /ĭɛn/ | /ĭɐn/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ʔi̯ɛn/ | /ʔɨ̯ɐn/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | yān | yān |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jin$^1$ | jin$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔa[n]/
    (Zhengzhang): /*qan/, /*qran/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 焉 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | yān |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ ʔjen › |
| Old Chinese | /*ʔa[n]/ |
| English | how |
| 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 | 焉 | 焉 |
| Reading # | 3/3 | 1/3 |
| No. | 14235 | 14227 |
| Phonetic component | 焉 | 焉 |
| Rime group | 元 | 元 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 蔫 | 焉 |
| Old Chinese | /*qan/ | /*qran/ |

#### Definitions

焉
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese, interrogative) how? why? where? when?
** 焉知非福？ [Classical Chinese] ― Yān zhī fēi fú? [Pinyin] ― How could one have known that it would not be fortuitous?
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) thereupon; therefore; then
    From: Mozi, c. 4th century BCE
    Shèngrén yǐ zhì tiānxià wéi shì zhě yě, bì zhī luàn zhī suǒ zì qǐ, yān néng zhì zhī, bù zhī luàn zhī suǒ zì qǐ, zé bù néng zhì. [Pinyin]
    The wise man who has charge of governing the empire should know the cause of disorder before he can put it in order. Unless he knows its cause, he cannot regulate it.

### Compounds

* 下焉者 (xiàyānzhě)
* 少焉
* 心不在焉 (xīnbùzàiyān)
* 心焉如割
* 於焉 / 于焉
* 殺雞焉用牛刀 / 杀鸡焉用牛刀 (shā jī yān yòng niúdāo)
* 烏焉成馬 / 乌焉成马
* 焉得
* 焉支山
* 焉爾 / 焉尔
* 焉知 (yānzhī)
* 焉能 (yānnéng)
* 終焉之志 / 终焉之志
* 罪莫大焉
* 與有榮焉 / 与有荣焉 (yǔyǒuróngyān)
* 語焉不詳 / 语焉不详 (yǔyānbùxiáng)

### References

* Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A02409
* “焉”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Hyōgai kanji)
* how? why? where?
* this, here
* indicates state of being
* a final modal particle used in classical Chinese texts

#### Readings

* On (unclassified): えん (en)、い (i)
* Kun: いずくんぞ (izukunzo, 焉んぞ)、これ (kore, 焉)、ここに (kokoni, 焉に)、すなわち (sunawachi)

### References

* ↑ “焉”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

## Korean
### Hanja

焉 (eumhun 어찌 언 (eojji eon))
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

焉: Hán Nôm readings: vờn, yên
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.