# 鯨

| 鯨 | U+9BE8, &#39912; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9BE8 |
| ← 鯧 [U+9BE7] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 鯩 → [U+9BE9] |

## Translingual
### Han character

鯨 (Kangxi radical 195, 魚+8, 19 strokes, cangjie input 弓火卜口火 (NFYRF), four-corner 2039$_6$, composition ⿰魚京)

#### Derived characters

* 𪸉

### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1473, character 12
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 46257
* Dae Jaweon: page 2005, character 9
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4698, character 6
* Unihan data for U+9BE8

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

* Historical forms of the character 鯨
* Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
* Small seal script
| | Old Chinese |
| 涼 | *ɡ·raŋ, *ɡ·raŋs, *ɡ·raŋs |
| 凉 | *ɡ·raŋ |
| 椋 | *ɡ·raŋ |
| 綡 | *ɡ·raŋ |
| 輬 | *ɡ·raŋ |
| 諒 | *ɡ·raŋs |
| 掠 | *ɡ·raŋs, *ɡ·raɡ |
| 弶 | *ɡaŋs |
| 京 | *kraŋ |
| 麖 | *kraŋ |
| 鶁 | *kraŋ |
| 景 | *kraŋʔ |
| 鯨 | *ɡraŋ |
| 黥 | *ɡraŋ |
| 勍 | *ɡraŋ |
| 剠 | *ɡraŋ |
| 倞 | *ɡraŋs |
| 影 | *qraŋʔ |
| 璟 | *qraŋʔ, *kʷraŋʔ |
| 憬 | *kʷraŋʔ |
| 暻 | *kʷraŋʔ |
| 澋 | *ɡʷraːŋʔ |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɡraŋ): semantic 魚 (“fish”) + phonetic 京 (OC *kraŋ).

### Etymology

Cognate with 京 (OC *kraŋ, “mound; capital; great”) (Wang, 1982).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): jīng, qíng (jing$^1$, qing$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥ, ㄑㄧㄥˊ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): king$^4$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): ken$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): kîn
    (Meixian, Guangdong): gin$^1$
* Eastern Min (BUC): gĭng
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): keng / khêng / kiang
    (Teochew, Peng'im): kêng$^5$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$jin
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): jin$^1$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: jīng
*** Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: jing
*** Wade–Giles: ching$^1$
*** Yale: jīng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jing
*** Palladius: цзин (czin)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/
** (Standard Chinese, literary variant)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: qíng
*** Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄥˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: cíng
*** Wade–Giles: chʻing$^2$
*** Yale: chíng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyng
*** Palladius: цин (cin)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: king$^4$
*** Yale: kìhng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: king$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: king$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰɪŋ²¹/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: ken$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰen²²/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kîn
*** Hakka Romanization System: gin$^ˊ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: gin$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /kin²⁴/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: gin$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /kin⁴⁴/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: gĭng
*** Sinological IPA : /kiŋ⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: keng
*** Tâi-lô: king
*** Phofsit Daibuun: kefng
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kiɪŋ⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /kiɪŋ³³/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou, variant in Taiwan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khêng
*** Tâi-lô: khîng
*** Phofsit Daibuun: qeeng
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰiɪŋ²³/
*** IPA (Quanzhou, Taipei): /kʰiɪŋ²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Yilan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kiang
*** Tâi-lô: kiang
*** Phofsit Daibuun: kiafng
*** IPA (Kaohsiung, Yilan): /kiaŋ⁴⁴/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: kêng$^5$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khêng
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰeŋ⁵⁵/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^6$jin
*** MiniDict: jin$^去$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^3$jjin
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /d͡ʑin²³/
* Xiang
** (Changsha)
*** Wiktionary: jin$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕin³³/
* Middle Chinese: gjaeng
Rime :
| Character | 鯨 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 群 (30) |
| Final (韻) | 庚 (111) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 渠京切 |
| Baxter | gjaeng |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ɡˠiæŋ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ɡᵚiaŋ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ɡiaŋ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /giajŋ/ |
| Li Rong | /ɡiɐŋ/ |
| Wang Li | /ɡĭɐŋ/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /gi̯ɐŋ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | qíng |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | king$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɡ]raŋ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ɡraŋ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 鯨 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | jīng |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ gjæng › |
| Old Chinese | /*[ɡ]raŋ/ |
| English | whale |
| 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 | 鯨 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 6832 |
| Phonetic component | 京 |
| Rime group | 陽 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 擎 |
| Old Chinese | /*ɡraŋ/ |

### Definitions

鯨
* whale
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) great; huge

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 鯨 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 鯨 |
| Taxonomic name | Taxonomic name | 鯨 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 鯨魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 鯨魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 鯨魚 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 鯨魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 鯨魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 鯨魚 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 鯨魚 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 鯨魚 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (Gongguan; N. Sixian) | 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (Zhuolan; N. Sixian) | 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 海翁 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian) | 海翁 |
| Hakka | Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian) | 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian) | 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 海鰍, 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 海翁, 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 鯨魚, 海鰍 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (Zhuolan; Raoping) | 鯨魚 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 鯨魚, 海鰍 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 海翁, 鯨魚 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 海翁, 鯨魚 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 海翁 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 鯨魚 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 海翁, 鯨魚 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 海公魚, 海公 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 鯨魚 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 鯨魚 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 鯨魚 |

### Compounds

* 北極鯨 / 北极鲸
* 大翅鯨 / 大翅鲸
* 抹香鯨 / 抹香鲸 (mǒxiāngjīng)
* 捕鯨船 / 捕鲸船
* 槌鯨 / 槌鲸
* 正鯨 / 正鲸
* 灰鯨 / 灰鲸
* 白鯨記 / 白鲸记
* 藍鯨 / 蓝鲸 (lánjīng)
* 虎踞鯨吞 / 虎踞鲸吞
* 蠶食鯨吞 / 蚕食鲸吞 (cánshíjīngtūn)
* 長鯨 / 长鲸
* 露脊鯨 / 露脊鲸 (lùjǐjīng)
* 鬚鯨 / 须鲸 (xūjīng)
* 鯨吞 / 鲸吞 (jīngtūn)
* 鯨吞虎噬 / 鲸吞虎噬
* 鯨波 / 鲸波
* 鯨油 / 鲸油 (jīngyóu)
* 鯨蠟 / 鲸蜡
* 鯨音 / 鲸音
* 鯨鬚 / 鲸须 (jīngxū)
* 鯨魚 / 鲸鱼 (jīngyú)
* 鯨魚座 / 鲸鱼座 (Jīngyúzuò)
* 鯨鯊 / 鲸鲨 (jīngshā)
* 鯨鯢 / 鲸鲵 (jīngní)
* 齒鯨 / 齿鲸 (chǐjīng)

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)

#### Readings

* Go-on: ぎょう (gyō)
* Kan-on: けい (kei)
* Kan’yō-on: げい (gei, Jōyō)
* Kun: くじら (kujira, 鯨, Jōyō)、おくじら (okujira, 鯨)、いさ (isa, 鯨)、いさな (isana, 鯨)

#### Compounds

* 鯨(げい)骨(こつ) (geikotsu): whale bone
* 鯨(げい)肉(にく) (geiniku): whale meat
* 鯨(げい)油(ゆ) (geiyu): whale oil
* 白(はく)鯨(げい) (hakugei): white whale
* 捕(ほ)鯨(げい) (hogei): whaling

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 鯨
* くじら Grade: S
* kun'yomi
/kudira/ → /kud͡ʑira/
From Old Japanese. Appears in the Kojiki of 712 CE with the man'yōgana spelling 久治良 (kudira). Hypothesized as ultimately from reconstructed Proto-Japonic *kuntira.
Ultimate derivation unclear. Theories include an alteration from 口広 (kuchibiro) in reference to the wide mouth; an alteration from 口開く (kuchibiraku) in reference to the gaping mouth; and an alteration from 黒白 (kuroshiro) in reference to the black-and-white coloration of certain cetaceans.
However, the oldest sources clearly spell the term as kudira.
* This rules out 口 (kuti → kuchi, “mouth”) as an etymon, as the oldest compounds using this term use the bound form kutu, not kuti, and there is no support for a kutu → kudi shift.
* This also rules out 白 (siro, sira → shiro, shira, “white”) as an etymon. Although rendaku (voicing in compounds) would give modern jira as a reading for 白, the ancient reading of sira would voice to something closer to zira, and there is no support for a zira → dira shift.
Also compare Korean 고래 (gorae) "whale."

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) くじら [kùjírá] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [kɯ̟ʑiɾa̠]

#### Noun

鯨(くじら) or 鯨(クジラ) • (kujira)
* a whale (large sea mammal)
** 898–901, Shinsen Jikyō, volume 9, page 1:鼇　五労反　久地良（久知）(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 898–901, Shinsen Jikyō, volume 9, page 2:鼇　敖龜字　背負甲　蓬莱之山遊戯　滄之中　久地良(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 938, Minamoto no Shitagō, Wamyō Ruijushō, volume 8, page 3:鯨　鯢　唐韻云、大魚、雄曰鯨、渠京反、雌曰鯢、音蜺、久知良 […]Whales and Whale-cows: The Tangyun calls them great fish. Males are called 鯨, fanqie kei, and Females are called 蜺, sound gei, kujira [...]
** 1603, “cujira”, in Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho) [Vocabulary of the Language of Japan] (in Portuguese), Nagasaki:Cujira. Balea.Kujira. Whale.

##### Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as クジラ.

##### Derived terms

* ゴジラ (Gojira, “Godzilla”)
* 鯨(くじら)取(と)り (kujiratori, “whaling”)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 鯨
* いさ Grade: S
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. Root isa (“powerful?”) appears to be the same element in verb 勇む (isamu, “to be courageous, to be in high spirits”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [isa̠]

#### Noun

鯨(いさ) • (isa)
* (archaic) a whale (large sea mammal)

##### Derived terms

* 鯨(いさな) (isana), 勇魚(いさな) (isana): whale (see below)

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 鯨
* いさな Grade: S
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 勇魚
From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū completed some time after 759 CE, often with the spelling 鯨魚 (literally “whale fish”).
From cognate isa above, suffixed with 魚 (-na, “fish”). Sometimes spelled as 勇魚.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [isa̠na̠]

#### Noun

鯨(いさな) • (isana)
* (archaic) a whale (large sea mammal)
** c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 13, poem 3339:; text here
    玉桙之 道尓出立 葦引乃 野行山行 潦 川徃渉 鯨名取 海路丹出而...
       玉桙の 道に出で立ち あしひきの 野行き山行き にはたづみ 川行き渡り 鯨魚取り 海道に出でて... たまほこの みちにいでたち あしひきの のゆきやまゆき にはたづみ かはゆきわたり いさなとり うみぢにいでて...
       Tamahoko no / michi ni idetachi / ashi hiki no / no yuki yama yuki / niwatazumi / kawa yuki watari / isana tori umiji ni idete...
       Heading out on the jeweled-spear road, going through the alluring fields and mountains, crossing the puddles and rivers, taking to the whaling sea road ...

##### Derived terms

* 鯨(いさな)取(と)り (isana tori), 勇魚(いさな)取(と)り (isana tori): whaling; an epithet for the sea

### References

* Shōjū with Kyōto Daigaku Bungakubu Kokugogaku Kokubungaku Kenkyūshitu (898–901) Shinsen Jikyō (Zōteiban) (in Japanese), Kyōto: Rinsen, published 15 December 1967, →ISBN.
* Minamoto, Shitagō with Kyōto Daigaku Bungakubu Kokugogaku Kokubungaku Kenkyūshitu (931–938) Shohon Shūsei Wamyō Ruijushō: Honbunhen (in Japanese), Kyōto: Rinsen, published 1968, →ISBN.
* ↑ 1891, 言海 (Genkai, “Sea of Words”) (in Japanese), lead editor Ōtsuki Fumihiko. Entry available online here.
* ↑ 2007-2014, 日本辞典 (Nihon Jiten, “Japan Dictionary”), 生物語源辞典 (Seibutsu Gogen Jiten, “Living Organism Etymology Dictionary”) section (in Japanese). Entry available online here.
* ↑ 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 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 13, poem 3335:, text available online here

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 鯨 (MC gjaeng).
Recorded as Middle Korean 껴ᇰ (Yale: kkyeng) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
Recorded as Middle Korean 겨ᇰ (kyeng) (Yale: kyeng) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Hanja

Wikisource 鯨 (eumhun 고래 경 (gorae gyeong))
* hanja form of 경 (“whale”)

#### Compounds

* 경골 (鯨骨, gyeonggol)
* 경유 (鯨油, gyeong'yu)
* 포경 (捕鯨, pogyeong)

### References

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

## Kunigami
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)
* Kun: ぐんじゃ (gunja, 鯨)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɡund͡ʑa/

### Noun

鯨(ぐんじゃ) (gunja)
* whale

## Miyako
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)
* Kun: ふづぁ (fudsa, 鯨)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fud͡za/

### Noun

鯨(ふづぁ) (fuds-a)
* whale

## Okinawan
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)

#### Readings

* Kun: ぐじら (gujira, 鯨)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɡud͡ʑiɾa/

### Noun

鯨(ぐじら) (gujira)
* whale

## Vietnamese
### Han character

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