兩

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See also: 両 and 两
兩 U+5169, 兩
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5169
← 全
[U+5168] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 兪 →
[U+516A]
兩 U+F978, 兩
CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F978
← 亮
[U+F977] 		CJK Compatibility Ideographs 凉 →
[U+F979]

Translingual[edit]

Traditional 兩
Shinjitai 両
Simplified 两
Stroke order

Han character[edit]

兩 (Kangxi radical 11, 入+6, 8 strokes, cangjie input 一中月人 (MLBO), four-corner 10227, composition ⿻帀𠓜)

Derived characters[edit]

References[edit]

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 126, character 13
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1436
  • Dae Jaweon: page 272, character 11
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 24, character 2
  • Unihan data for U+5169

Chinese[edit]

Glyph origin[edit]

Historical forms of the character 兩
Bronze inscriptions

b11978

b11979

b11980

b11981

b11982

b11983

b11984

b11985

b11986

b11987

b11988

b11989

b11990

b11991

b11992

Small seal script

s05489

Transcribed ancient scripts

L35075

L35076

References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

  • Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
  • Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
  • Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
  • Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (兩) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
倆 *raŋʔ
兩 *raŋʔ, *raŋs
脼 *raŋʔ
緉 *raŋʔ, *raŋs
蜽 *raŋʔ
魎 *raŋʔ
輛 *raŋs

According to Shuowen Jiezi an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 一 + 㒳. Baxter (1992) observes that, in historical forms, the character is two 丙 (OC *praŋʔ) joined together; this would make 丙 the phonetic component in a sort of phono-ideogrammic compound (see also Baxter & Sagart (2014)).

Etymology[edit]

Unknown. Schuessler (2007) proposes two possible etymologies:

Derivative: 輛 (OC *raŋs, “chariot”) (literally “that which is paired”, i.e. “a set of wheels”).

Pronunciation 1[edit]

trad. 兩
simp. 两
alternative forms 㒳
𭃂

Note:
  • lâng - vernacular;
  • liōng - literary.
Note:
  • nn̄g/nňg/nō͘ - vernacular;
  • lióng - literary.
Note:
  • no6 - vernacular;
  • liang2 - literary.
    • (Leizhou)
      • Leizhou Pinyin: no6 / liang2
      • Sinological IPA: /nɔ³³/, /liaŋ³¹/
Note:
  • no6 - vernacular;
  • liang2 - literary.
Rime
Character 兩
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 來 (37)
Final (韻) 陽 (105)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 良㢡切
Baxter ljangX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/lɨɐŋX/
Pan
Wuyun 		/liɐŋX/
Shao
Rongfen 		/liɑŋX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/lɨaŋX/
Li
Rong 		/liaŋX/
Wang
Li 		/lĭaŋX/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/li̯aŋX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		liǎng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		loeng5
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 兩
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		liǎng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ ljangX ›
Old
Chinese 		/*p.raŋʔ/
English a pair

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 兩
Reading # 1/2
No. 8054
Phonetic
component 		兩
Rime
group 		陽
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime
Old
Chinese 		/*raŋʔ/

Definitions[edit]

兩

  1. two
    兩隻熱氣球／两只热气球  ―  liǎng zhī rèqìqiú  ―  two hot air balloons
  2. two (used in radio communications in aviation and by the military)
  3. some; few
    你們這兩天真夠辛苦的。 [MSC, trad.]
    你们这两天真够辛苦的。 [MSC, simp.]
    Nǐmen zhè liǎng tiān zhēn gòu xīnkǔ de. [Pinyin]
    You've really been working hard the past few days.
  4. different; distinct
    兩樣／两样  ―  liǎngyàng  ―  difference
    我們說的是兩回事。 [MSC, trad.]
    我们说的是两回事。 [MSC, simp.]
    Wǒmen shuō de shì liǎng huí shì. [Pinyin]
    We are talking about different things.
  5. a surname
Usage notes[edit]
  • In Standard Mandarin, 兩／两 (liǎng) is used when counting things with a measure word, 二 (èr) is used in numbers.
    • Examples with 兩／两 (liǎng)
      兩個人／两个人  ―  liǎng ge rén  ―  two people
      兩年／两年  ―  liǎng nián  ―  two years
      兩百／两百  ―  liǎng bǎi  ―  two hundred
      兩千／两千  ―  liǎng qiān  ―  two thousand
    • Examples with 二 (èr)
      二十  ―  èrshí  ―  twenty (literally, “two tens”)
      二百  ―  èr bǎi  ―  two hundred
      第二  ―  dì'èr  ―  second
      But not *二個人
Synonyms[edit]
  • 二 (èr, “two”)

Compounds[edit]

Pronunciation 2[edit]

trad. 兩/両
simp. 两
alternative forms 㒳
𭃂
Wikipedia has articles on:

Note:
  • niên2 - Chaozhou;
  • nion2 - Shantou.
Rime
Character 兩
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 來 (37)
Final (韻) 陽 (105)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 良㢡切
Baxter ljangX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/lɨɐŋX/
Pan
Wuyun 		/liɐŋX/
Shao
Rongfen 		/liɑŋX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/lɨaŋX/
Li
Rong 		/liaŋX/
Wang
Li 		/lĭaŋX/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/li̯aŋX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		liǎng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		loeng5
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 兩
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		liǎng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ ljangX ›
Old
Chinese 		/*p.raŋʔ/
English a pair

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 兩
Reading # 1/2
No. 8054
Phonetic
component 		兩
Rime
group 		陽
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime
Old
Chinese 		/*raŋʔ/

Definitions[edit]

兩

  1. tael (a traditional unit of weight)
    1. (Mainland China) Short for 市兩／市两 (shìliǎng, “market tael, equal to 1/10 of a catty or 50 grams”).
    2. (Hong Kong) equal to 1/16 of a catty or 37.7994 grams
    3. (Taiwan) Short for 臺兩／台两 (“Taiwanese tael, equal to 1/16 of a catty or 37.5 grams”).
    4. (historical) metal currency unit used in China and Japan
  2. Short for 公兩／公两 (gōngliǎng, “hectogram”).
Usage notes[edit]
  • In older literature, using 両 for "tael" and 兩／两 for "two" can be seen.
  • The variant form 𭃂 is commonly found in shop signs displaying prices.

Compounds[edit]

Pronunciation 3[edit]

Rime
Character 兩
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 來 (37)
Final (韻) 陽 (105)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 力讓切
Baxter ljangH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/lɨɐŋH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/liɐŋH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/liɑŋH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/lɨaŋH/
Li
Rong 		/liaŋH/
Wang
Li 		/lĭaŋH/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/li̯aŋH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		liàng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		loeng6
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 兩
Reading # 2/2
No. 8061
Phonetic
component 		兩
Rime
group 		陽
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		亮
Old
Chinese 		/*raŋs/
Notes 後作輛

Definitions[edit]

兩

  1. Original form of 輛／辆 (liàng).

Pronunciation 4[edit]

For pronunciation and definitions of 兩 – see 魎.
(This character is a variant form of 魎).

Compounds[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Sino-Xenic (兩):

Others:

Further reading[edit]

Southern Min

Japanese[edit]

Shinjitai

両

Kyūjitai

兩

Kanji[edit]

兩

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 両)

  1. both

Readings[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • 两 (also kyūjitai)

Korean[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Hanja[edit]

兩 (eumhun 두 량 (du ryang), South Korea 두 양 (du yang))

  1. Hanja form? of 량 (“both”).

Compounds[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Hanja[edit]

兩 (eumhun 냥 냥 (nyang nyang), South Korea 냥 양 (nyang yang))

  1. Hanja form? of 냥 (“(archaic) (units of measure) a liang or tael, a unit of weight equivalent to about 40 g”).
  2. Hanja form? of 냥 (“(archaic) (units of coinage) a nyang”).

Vietnamese[edit]

Han character[edit]

兩: Hán Nôm readings: lưỡng[1][2][3][4][5][6], lượng[1][2][4][5][6], lạng[1][2][3][5][6][7]

  1. Nôm form of lạng (“tael (unit of weight equal to 37.8 grams)”).
  2. chữ Hán form of lượng (“tael”).
  3. chữ Hán form of lưỡng (“two, both”).

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Génibrel (1898).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bonet (1899).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thiều Chửu (1942).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nguyễn (1974).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Trần (1999).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  7. ^ Hồ (1976).
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