水銀

See also: 水银

Chinese

FWOTD – 31 July 2014

		water; river	silver; money
trad. (水銀)		水	銀
simp. (水银)		水	银
anagram		銀水／银水

Etymology

Compare the etymologies of Latin hydrargyrus, English quicksilver.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): shuǐyín

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄧㄣˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): sui³ yin²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): фийин (fiyin, II-I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): seoi² ngan⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): sui² ngan³

• Gan (Wiktionary): sui³ nyin
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): súi-ngiùn
• Eastern Min (BUC): cṳ̄-ngṳ̀ng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chúi-gîn / chúi-gûn

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zui² ngeng⁵

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁵sy-gnin

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shuǐyín
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄧㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shuěiyín
    • Wade–Giles: shui³-yin²
    • Yale: shwěi-yín
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shoeiyn
    • Palladius: шуйинь (šujinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ in³⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: sui³ yin²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: suijn
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /suei⁵³ in²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: фийин (fiyin, II-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fi⁵¹ iŋ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: seoi² ngan⁴
    • Yale: séui ngàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: soey² ngan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: sêu² ngen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɵy̯³⁵ ŋɐn²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: sui² ngan³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sui⁵⁵ ᵑɡan²²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: sui³ nyin
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sui²¹³⁻²¹ n̠ʲin¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: súi-ngiùn
    • Hakka Romanization System: sui` ngiunˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: sui³ ngiun²
    • Sinological IPA: /su̯i³¹ ŋi̯un¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: cṳ̄-ngṳ̀ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sy³³⁻²¹ ŋyŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chúi-gîn
    • Tâi-lô: tsuí-gîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zuy'giin
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɡin¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sui⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ɡin²³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chúi-gûn
    • Tâi-lô: tsuí-gûn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zuy'guun
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɡun²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ɡun²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: zui² ngeng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsúi ngṳ̂ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sui⁵²⁻³⁵ ŋɯŋ⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁵sy-gnin
    • MiniDict: sy^去 nyin
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²sr-nyin
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sz̩³³ n̠ʲin⁴⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: sywijX ngin

Rime
Character	水	銀
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	書 (26)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	脂 (18)	眞 (44)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	式軌切	語巾切
Baxter	sywijX	ngin
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɕˠiuɪX/	/ŋˠiɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/ɕʷᵚiX/	/ŋᵚin/
Shao Rongfen	/ɕiuɪX/	/ŋien/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɕjwiX/	/ŋjin/
Li Rong	/ɕjuiX/	/ŋjĕn/
Wang Li	/ɕwiX/	/ŋǐĕn/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɕwiX/	/ŋi̯ĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shuǐ	yín
Expected Cantonese Reflex	seoi2	ngan4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*s.turʔ  ŋrə[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qʰʷljilʔ  ŋrɯn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	水	銀
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shuǐ	yín
Middle Chinese	‹ sywijX ›	‹ ngin ›
Old Chinese	/*s.turʔ/ (E dialect: *-r > *-j)	/*ŋrə[n]/
English	water; river	silver
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	水	銀
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	11948	3939
Phonetic component	水	艮
Rime group	脂	文
Rime subdivision	2	1
Corresponding MC rime	水	銀
Old Chinese	/*qʰʷljilʔ/	/*ŋrɯn/

Noun

水銀

1. mercury; quicksilver

   • 始皇初即位，穿治酈山，及并天下，天下徒送詣七十餘萬人，穿三泉，下銅而致槨，宮觀百官奇器珍怪徙臧滿之。令匠作機弩矢，有所穿近者輒射之。以水銀為百川江河大海，機相灌輸，上具天文，下具地理。以人魚膏為燭，度不滅者久之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     始皇初即位，穿治郦山，及并天下，天下徒送诣七十余万人，穿三泉，下铜而致椁，宫观百官奇器珍怪徙臧满之。令匠作机弩矢，有所穿近者辄射之。以水银为百川江河大海，机相灌输，上具天文，下具地理。以人鱼膏为烛，度不灭者久之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Shǐhuáng chū jíwèi, chuān zhì Lìshān, jí bìng tiānxià, tiānxià tú sòngyì qī shí yú wàn rén, chuān sān quán, xià tóng ér zhì guǒ, gōngguān bǎiguān qíqì zhēnguài xǐ zāng mǎn zhī. Lìng jiàng zuò jīnǔ shǐ, yǒu suǒ chuān jìn zhě zhé shè zhī. Yǐ shuǐyín wèi bǎichuān jiānghé dàhǎi, jī xiàng guànshū, shàng jù tiānwén, xià jù dìlǐ. Yǐ rényúgāo wèi zhú, dù bù miè zhě jiǔ zhī. [Pinyin]

     When the First Emperor ascended the throne, the digging and preparation at Mount Li began. After he unified his empire, he sent 700,000 people to work. They dug down deep to underground springs, pouring copper to place the outer casing of the coffin. Palaces and viewing towers housing a hundred officials were built and filled with treasures and rare artefacts. Workmen were instructed to make automatic crossbows primed to shoot at intruders. Mercury was used to create a hundred rivers and the ocean, and set to flow mechanically. Above, the heaven is depicted, below, the geographical features of the land. Candles were made of "mermaid"'s fat whose light would not extinguish for a long time.

2. (poetic) moon
3. (poetic) glob; drop of water

Synonyms

• (mercury):

Dialectal synonyms of 水銀 (“mercury (metal)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		水銀
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		汞, 水銀
Mandarin	Beijing	水銀
	Taiwan	水銀
	Tianjin	水銀
	Chengde	水銀
	Tangshan	水銀
	Cangzhou	水銀
	Baoding	水銀
	Shijiazhuang	水銀
	Chifeng	水銀
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	水銀
	Heihe	水銀
	Qiqihar	水銀
	Harbin	水銀
	Jiamusi	水銀
	Baicheng	水銀
	Changchun	水銀
	Tonghua	水銀
	Shenyang	水銀
	Dandong	水銀
	Jinzhou	水銀
	Dalian	水銀
	Yantai	水銀
	Qingdao	水銀
	Lijin	水銀
	Zhucheng	水銀
	Jinan	水銀
	Jining	水銀
	Shangqiu	水銀
	Yuanyang	水銀
	Zhengzhou	水銀
	Lingbao	水銀
	Xinyang	水銀
	Baihe	水銀
	Hanzhong	水銀
	Xi'an	水銀
	Baoji	水銀
	Yinchuan	水銀
	Tianshui	水銀
	Lanzhou	水銀
	Dunhuang	水銀
	Xining	水銀
	Hami	水銀
	Ürümqi	水銀
	Wuhan	水銀
	Yichang	水銀
	Xiangyang	水銀
	Tianmen	水銀
	Hong'an	水銀
	Chengdu	水銀
	Dazhou	水銀
	Hanyuan	水銀
	Xichang	水銀
	Zigong	水銀
	Chongqing	水銀
	Guiyang	水銀
	Zunyi	水銀
	Bijie	水銀
	Liping	水銀
	Zhaotong	水銀
	Dali	水銀
	Kunming	水銀
	Mengzi	水銀
	Guilin	水銀
	Liuzhou	水銀
Jishou	水銀
Changde	水銀
Anqing	水銀
Xuzhou	水銀
Fuyang	水銀
Wuhu	水銀
Yangzhou	水銀
Lianyungang	水銀
Lianshui	水銀子
Nanjing	水銀
Hefei	水銀
Nantong	水銀
Singapore	水銀
Cantonese	Hong Kong	水銀
	Dongguan	水銀
Gan	Nanchang	水銀
	Lichuan	水銀
Hakka	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	水銀
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	水銀
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	水銀
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	水銀
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	水銀
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	水銀
Jin	Taiyuan	水銀
	Yangyuan	水銀
	Datong	水銀
	Xinzhou	水銀
	Lishi	水銀
	Linfen	水銀
	Changzhi	水銀
	Linhe	水銀
	Jining	水銀
	Hohhot	水銀
	Erenhot	水銀
	Pingshan	水銀
	Zhangjiakou	水銀
	Handan	水銀
	Linzhou	水銀
	Suide	水銀
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	水銀
Southern Min	Xiamen	水銀
	Quanzhou	水銀
	Zhangzhou	水銀
	Tainan	水銀
Wu	Suzhou	水銀

Derived terms

• 水銀柱／水银柱 (shuǐyínzhù)
• 水銀燈／水银灯

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (水銀):

• → Japanese: 水銀(すいぎん) (suigin)
• → Korean: 수은(水銀) (sueun)
• → Vietnamese: thuỷ ngân (水銀)

Japanese

Chemical element
Hg
Previous: 金(きん) (kin) (金(きん) (kin)) (Au)
Next: タリウム (tariumu) (タリウム (tariumu)) (Tl)

水銀 (suigin, mizugane): mercury.

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
水	銀
すい Grade: 1	ぎん Grade: 3
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese compound 水銀 (MC sywijX ngin, literally “water (i.e. liquid) silver”). Compare modern Mandarin 水銀／水银 (shuǐyín).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) すいぎん [sùígíń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [sɨᵝiɡʲĩɴ]

Noun

水(すい)銀(ぎん) • (suigin) 

1. (chemistry) mercury; quicksilver

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)汚(お)染(せん) (suigin osen): mercury pollution, mercury contamination
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)温(おん)度(ど)計(けい) (suigin ondokei): a mercury thermometer
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)気(き)圧(あつ)計(けい) (suigin kiatsukei): a mercury barometer
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)拡(かく)散(せん)ポンプ (suigin kakusen ponpu): a mercury diffusion pump
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)寒(かん)暖(だん)計(けい) (suigin kandankei): a mercury thermometer
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)孤(こ)灯(とう) (suigin kotō): a mercury arc lamp
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)硬(こう)膏(こう) (suigin kōkō): a hard mercury-based ointment or plaster
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)剤(ざい) (suiginzai): a mercurial (drug), a mercury-based fungicide
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)整(せい)流(りゅう)器(き) (suigin seiryūki): (electronics) a mercury-arc valve
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)晴(せい)雨(う)計(けい) (suigin seiukei): a mercury barometer
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)中(ちゅう)毒(どく) (suigin chūdoku): mercury poisoning
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)柱(ちゅう) (suiginchū): mercury in a thermometer, as a metaphor for the temperature
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)電(でん)池(ち) (suigin denchi): a mercury battery
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)灯(とう) (suigin tō): a mercury lamp, a mercury-vapor lamp
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)軟(なん)膏(こう) (suigin nankō): a soft mercury-based ointment or plaster
• 水(すい)銀(ぎん)農(のう)薬(やく) (suigin nōyaku): a mercury-based agrichemical
• 水銀粉(はらや) (haraya): a kind of white face powder made from mercury, used in ancient times

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
水	銀
みず Grade: 1	かね Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
汞 𫒎

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲizɨᵝka̠ne̞]

Noun

水(みず)銀(かね) • (mizukane) ^{←みづかね (midukane)?}

1. mercury
   • c. 918, Honzō Wamyō:

     水銀 一名汞 汞粉　陶景注云、焼時、釜上、灰名汞粉[...]丹砂之精也　和名美都加祢　出伊勢国

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
水	銀
みず Grade: 1	かね > がね Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
汞 𫒎

From Old Japanese. Compound of 水 (mizu, “water”) +‎ 銀 (kane, “metal, silver”). The kane changes to gane as an instance of rendaku (連濁). Appears in the Wamyō Ruijushō Japanese dictionary of 938 CE as mizukane, suggesting that the shift to rendaku is more recent.

Obsolete in modern Japanese.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲizɨᵝɡa̠ne̞]

Noun

水(みず)銀(がね) • (mizugane) ^{←みづがね (midugane)?}

1. (chemistry, obsolete) mercury; quicksilver

Usage notes

The mizugane reading is largely obsolete in modern Japanese; suigin is the standard reading.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 水(みず)銀(がね)の滓(かす) (mizugane no kasu): a kind of white face powder made from mercury, used in ancient times

References

• Fukane no Sukehito (c. 901–923) Maruyama Yumiko, Wu Qian, editors, Honzō Wamyō: Eiin, Honkoku to Kenkyū) (in Japanese), Kyūko Shoin, published 2021, →ISBN.

Korean

Hanja in this term
水	銀

Noun

水銀 • (sueun) (hangeul 수은)

1. Hanja form^? of 수은 (“mercury”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
水	銀

Noun

水銀

1. chữ Hán form of thủy ngân (“mercury”).