# 由

| 由 | U+7531, &#30001; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7531 |
| ← 田 [U+7530] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 甲 → [U+7532] |

## Translingual
### Han character

由 (Kangxi radical 102, 田+0, 5 strokes, cangjie input 中田 (LW), four-corner 5060$_0$, composition ⿻日丨 or ⿻囗十)

#### Derived characters

* 廸, 迪, 鼬, 邮, 頔(𬱖), 㐕, 甹, 㕀, 㽕, 畁, 冑, 胄, 宙, 峀, 苖, 笛, 届, 庙, 㾄, 寅, 黄, 黃, 㑹, 褏
* 伷, 妯, 岫, 㣙, 怞, 抽, 油, 㹨, 柚, 牰, 䄂, 秞, 袖, 粙, 紬(䌷), 舳, 蚰, 䛆, 䜬, 軸(轴), 釉, 鈾(铀), 䩜, 駎(𩧨), 鮋(鲉)
* 𧻉, 𫠘, 𠃦, 𭘌, 𤱁, 𤱉, 𤱤, 𤉕, 𤲣, 𢆟, 𤳃, 𤳄, 𬏌, 𩿬, 𡳧, 𤳐, 𬏕, 𤳨, 𤳸, 𧈕
* 𠱋, 𡊡, 𢂎, 𫔼, 𤤧, 𫆚, 𥑤, 𬔈, 𤉓, 𧲹, 𬰹, 𪳫, 𪽝, 𤳷
* 𡛽, 𡱋, 𢍁, 𭘋, 𤰰, 𬏁, 𠔔, 𩊄, 𤰋, 𠔍, 𠰬, 𡘊, 峀, 𤽙, 𥥉, 𦥪, 𫘼, 𧆭, 𫔞, 𤰔, 𧙏, 𮏬

#### Descendants

* ゆ
* ユ

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 757, character 1
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 21724
* Dae Jaweon: page 1167, character 2
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2524, character 2
* Unihan data for U+7531

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

* Historical forms of the character 由
* Western Zhou
* Bronze inscriptions
| | Old Chinese |
| 袖 | *ljɯwɢs |
| 岫 | *ljɯwɢs |
| 牰 | *ljɯwɢs, *lɯwɢs |
| 抽 | *l̥ʰɯw |
| 妯 | *l̥ʰɯw, *l'ɯwɢ |
| 紬 | *l'ɯw |
| 怞 | *l'ɯw |
| 鮋 | *l'ɯw, *ɦljɯw, *lɯw |
| 菗 | *rlɯw |
| 宙 | *l'ɯwɢs |
| 胄 | *l'ɯwɢs |
| 冑 | *l'ɯwɢs |
| 伷 | *l'ɯwɢs |
| 駎 | *l'ɯwɢs |
| 油 | *lɯw, *lɯwɢs |
| 由 | *lɯw |
| 蚰 | *lɯw |
| 秞 | *lɯw |
| 邮 | *lɯw |
| 釉 | *lɯwɢs |
| 柚 | *lɯwɢs, *l'ɯwɢ |
| 鼬 | *lɯwɢs |
| 苖 | *l'ɯːwɢ, *l̥ʰɯwɢ |
| 笛 | *l'ɯːwɢ |
| 迪 | *l'ɯːwɢ |
| 頔 | *l'ɯːwɢ |
| 軸 | *l'ɯwɢ |
| 舳 | *l'ɯwɢ |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *lɯw): phonetic 十 (OC *ɡjub) + semantic 口 (“mouth”) – a container with on top the pictogram of a needle (十, today 針), to indicate the ancient pronunciation. Compare the bottom part of the original version of 缶, an earthenware pot. In oracle bones, 由 was used as the original version of 怞 (yóu or, in the less conservative pronunciation, chóu). See also 俞.
Otherwise, according to Tang Lan (唐蘭), it's the pictogram of a helmet. If a helmet, may have been the same as or original character of 冑. However, this alternative interpretation is less likely.

### Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Related to 遊?”)

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): yóu (you$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄧㄡˊ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jau$^4$ / jau$^{4-2}$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): yù
    (Hailu, HRS): rhiu
* Jin (Wiktionary): iou$^1$
* Northern Min (KCR): iǔ
* Eastern Min (BUC): iù
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): iu$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): iû
    (Teochew, Peng'im): iu$^5$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$yeu
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: yóu
*** Zhuyin: ㄧㄡˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: yóu
*** Wade–Giles: yu$^2$
*** Yale: yóu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: you
*** Palladius: ю (ju)
*** Sinological IPA : /joʊ̯³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jau$^4$ / jau$^{4-2}$
*** Yale: yàuh / yáu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jau$^4$ / jau$^{4-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yeo$^4$ / yeo$^{4-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /jɐu̯²¹/, /jɐu̯²¹⁻³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yù
*** Hakka Romanization System: iu$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: yiu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /i̯u¹¹/
** (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yù
*** Hakka Romanization System: (r)iu$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: yiu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯u¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: rhiu
*** Sinological IPA: /ʒiu⁵⁵/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: iou$^1$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /iəu¹¹/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: iǔ
*** Sinological IPA : /iu²¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: iù
*** Sinological IPA : /ieu⁵³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: iu$^2$
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: iú
*** Sinological IPA : /iu¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iû
*** Tâi-lô: iû
*** Phofsit Daibuun: iuu
*** IPA (Xiamen): /iu²⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /iu²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /iu¹³/
*** IPA (Taipei): /iu²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /iu²³/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: iu$^5$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iû
*** Sinological IPA : /iu⁵⁵/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^6$yeu
*** MiniDict: yeu$^去$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^3$hhieu
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦiɤ²³/
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit由 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /iou³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /iou²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /iou⁴⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /iou⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /iou⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /iou⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /iou²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /iɯ²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /iəu⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /iou⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /iɤu⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /iəu²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /iəu³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /iəu²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /iəu³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /iəɯ²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /iɯ⁵⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /iəu¹¹/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /iəu¹³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /iəu³¹/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /ɦiɤ²³/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /ɦiɤ¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /ɦiø²¹³/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /jau³¹/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /iu⁴⁴/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /iu⁴⁴/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /iəu¹³/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /iəɯ¹²/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /i⁴⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /iu¹¹/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /ʒiu¹¹/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /jɐu²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /jɐu²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /jɐu²¹/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /iu³⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /ieu⁵³/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /iu²¹/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /iu⁵⁵/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /ziu³¹/ |
* Middle Chinese: yuw
Rime :
| Character | 由 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 以 (36) |
| Final (韻) | 尤 (136) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 以周切 |
| Baxter | yuw |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /jɨu/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /jiu/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /iəu/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /juw/ |
| Li Rong | /iu/ |
| Wang Li | /jĭəu/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /i̯ə̯u/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | yóu |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jau$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*l[u]/
    (Zhengzhang): /*lɯw/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 由 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | yóu |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ yuw › |
| Old Chinese | /*l[u]/ |
| English | follow; from |
| 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 | 由 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 15526 |
| Phonetic component | 由 |
| Rime group | 幽 |
| Rime subdivision | 2 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 猷 |
| Old Chinese | /*lɯw/ |

#### Definitions

由
* cause; reason
    緣由／缘由 ― yuányóu ― cause and reason
* from
    由北到南 ― yóu běi dào nán ― from north to south
    由廣州出發／由广州出发 ― yóu Guǎngzhōu chūfā ― to depart from Guangzhou
* by; through; via
    請由側門出入。／请由侧门出入。 ― Qǐng yóu cèmén chūrù. ― Please enter and exit via the side door.
* (done) by
       Zhè jiàn shì yóu wǒ lái chùlǐ ba. [Pinyin]
       Let me handle this matter.
* because of; due to
* by means of
    由此可見／由此可见 ― yóucǐkějiàn ― thus it can be seen
       Běn shū yóu sān bùfēn zǔchéng. [Pinyin]
       This book is composed of three parts.
* to pass through
    必由之路 ― bìyóuzhīlù ― the path that must be taken
* to follow; to let one determine
    身不由己 ― shēnbùyóujǐ ― to be unable to determine for oneself
    由他去吧！ ― Yóu tā qù ba! ― Let him do as he pleases!
       jau$^{4-2}$ keoi$^5$ zi$^6$ gei$^2$ zou$^6$ laa$^1$! [Jyutping]
       Let him do it by himself!

#### Compounds

* 不因不由
* 不由 (bùyóu)
* 不由人
* 不由分說 / 不由分说 (bùyóufēnshuō)
* 不由得 (bùyóude)
* 不由的
* 不由自主 (bùyóuzìzhǔ)
* 事由 (shìyóu)
* 事由兒 / 事由儿
* 人身自由 (rénshēn zìyóu)
* 任天由命
* 任由 (rènyóu)
* 何由 (héyóu)
* 來由 / 来由 (láiyóu)
* 俯仰由人
* 公海自由
* 兵不由將 / 兵不由将
* 出版自由
* 原由 (yuányóu)
* 咎由自取 (jiùyóuzìqǔ)
* 四大自由
* 因由 (yīnyóu)
* 夷由
* 奚由
* 妨害自由
* 妖由人興 / 妖由人兴
* 威福由己
* 婚姻自由
* 學術自由 / 学术自由 (xuéshù zìyóu)
* 宗教自由 (zōngjiào zìyóu)
* 尋由頭兒 / 寻由头儿
* 小大由之
* 居仁由義 / 居仁由义
* 居住自由
* 情由 (qíngyóu)
* 意見自由 / 意见自由
* 所由
* 摘由
* 故故由兒 / 故故由儿
* 新聞自由 / 新闻自由 (xīnwén zìyóu)
* 易知由單 / 易知由单
* 根由 (gēnyóu)
* 案由 (ànyóu)
* 沒來由 / 没来由
* 無由 / 无由 (wúyóu)
* 犯由
* 率由舊則 / 率由旧则
* 率由舊章 / 率由旧章
* 理由 (lǐyóu)
* 理由書 / 理由书
* 由不得
* 由中 (yóuzhōng)
* 由中之言
* 由人
* 由來 / 由来 (yóulái)
* 由博返約 / 由博返约
* 由得 (yóude)
* 由性
* 由於 / 由于 (yóuyú)
* 由旬 (yóuxún)
* 由是 (yóushì)
* 由櫱 / 由蘖
* 由此 (yóucǐ)
* 由淺入深 / 由浅入深 (yóuqiǎnrùshēn)
* 由由
* 由竇尚書 / 由窦尚书
* 由紀 / 由纪
* 由衷 (yóuzhōng)
* 由衷之言
* 由衷感激
* 由跋
* 由頭 / 由头
* 病由口入
* 祝由科
* 禍福由人 / 祸福由人
* 笑罵由他 / 笑骂由他
* 經由 / 经由 (jīngyóu)
* 緣由 / 缘由 (yuányóu)
* 聽天由命 / 听天由命 (tīngtiānyóumìng)
* 自由 (zìyóu)
* 自由世界 (zìyóu shìjiè)
* 自由中國 / 自由中国 (Zìyóu Zhōngguó)
* 自由主義 / 自由主义 (zìyóuzhǔyì)
* 自由公債 / 自由公债
* 自由刑 (zìyóuxíng)
* 自由城
* 自由報業 / 自由报业
* 自由市
* 自由市場 / 自由市场 (zìyóu shìchǎng)
* 自由心證 / 自由心证 (zìyóu xīnzhèng)
* 自由意志 (zìyóu yìzhì)
* 自由戀愛 / 自由恋爱
* 自由放任 (zìyóufàngrèn)
* 自由日
* 自由業 / 自由业
* 自由權 / 自由权
* 自由泳 (zìyóuyǒng)
* 自由港 (zìyóugǎng)
* 自由球
* 自由畫 / 自由画
* 自由稅率 / 自由税率
* 自由競爭 / 自由竞争 (zìyóu jìngzhēng)
* 自由經濟 / 自由经济
* 自由職業 / 自由职业 (zìyóu zhíyè)
* 自由能 (zìyóunéng)
* 自由自在 (zìyóuzìzài)
* 自由裁量
* 自由詞組 / 自由词组
* 自由詩 / 自由诗 (zìyóushī)
* 自由車 / 自由车 (zìyóuchē)
* 自由電子 / 自由电子 (zìyóu diànzǐ)
* 自由體操 / 自由体操 (zìyóu tǐcāo)
* 自由鬥士 / 自由斗士 (zìyóu dòushì)
* 著作自由
* 著甚來由 / 著甚来由
* 行不由徑 / 行不由径 (xíngbùyóujìng)
* 言不由中
* 言不由衷 (yánbùyóuzhōng)
* 言論自由 / 言论自由 (yánlùnzìyóu)
* 許由棄瓢 / 许由弃瓢
* 許由洗耳 / 许由洗耳
* 蹤由 / 踪由
* 身不由主
* 身不由己 (shēnbùyóujǐ)
* 通訊自由 / 通讯自由
* 遷徙自由 / 迁徙自由
* 頭由 / 头由 (tóuyóu)
* 鬼狐由
* 鬼胡由

#### Descendants

* → Vietnamese: do (由)

### Etymology 2

* For pronunciation and definitions of 由 – see 甴. (This character is a variant form of 甴).

### References

* “由”, 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–
* 莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “由”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 288.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)
* cause, reason
* from, arising from

#### Readings

* Go-on: ゆ (yu, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: ゆう (yū, Jōyō)
* Kan’yō-on: ゆい (yui, Jōyō $^†$)
* Kun: よし (yoshi, 由, Jōyō)、よる (yoru, 由る)、より (yori, 由り)、なお (nao, 由)

#### Compounds

* 自由(じゆう) (jiyū): freedom
* 自由度(じゆうど) (jiyūdo): flexibility
* 由来(ゆらい) (yurai): origin

## Korean
### Hanja

由 (eumhun 말미암을 유 (malmiameul yu))
* hanja form of 유 (“cause; reason”)

## Okinawan
### Kanji

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

#### Readings

* On (unclassified): ゆー (yū)

#### Compounds

* 自(じ)由(ゆー) (jiyū)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

由: Hán Nôm readings: do
* chữ Hán form of do (“cause; because of; due to”).