逆鱗

Chinese

		contrary; opposite; backwards contrary; opposite; backwards; to go against; to oppose; to betray; to rebel	scales (of fish)
trad. (逆鱗)		逆	鱗
simp. (逆鳞)		逆	鳞

Etymology

From Han Feizi, Chapter 12 (《韓非子·說難》):

夫龍之為虫也，柔可狎而騎也；然其喉下有逆鱗徑尺，若人有嬰之者，則必殺人。人主亦有逆鱗，說者能無嬰人主之逆鱗，則幾矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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夫龙之为虫也，柔可狎而骑也；然其喉下有逆鳞径尺，若人有婴之者，则必杀人。人主亦有逆鳞，说者能无婴人主之逆鳞，则几矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE

Fú lóng zhī wéi chóng yě, róu kě xiá ér qí yě; rán qí hóu xià yǒu nìlín jìng chǐ, ruò rén yǒu yīng zhī zhě, zé bì shārén. Rénzhǔ yì yǒu nìlín, shuì zhě néng wú yīng rénzhǔ zhī nìlín, zé jī yǐ. [Pinyin]

The dragon, being a creature, may be tamed, played with in close quarters, and even ridden. However, below its throat are the inverted scales, each spanning one chi. The dragon would kill anyone touching them. A prince of men has those inverted scales too. Persuaders might have a chance at success, provided that they can avoid touching the inverted scales of the prince.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nìlín

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄧˋ ㄌㄧㄣˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nìlín
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧˋ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: nìlín
    • Wade–Giles: ni⁴-lin²
    • Yale: nì-lín
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nihlin
    • Palladius: нилинь (nilinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ni⁵¹ lin³⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: ngjaek lin

Rime
Character	逆	鱗
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	庚 (115)	眞 (43)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	宜戟切	力珍切
Baxter	ngjaek	lin
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋˠiæk̚/	/liɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋᵚiak̚/	/lin/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋiak̚/	/ljen/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋiajk̚/	/lin/
Li Rong	/ŋiɐk̚/	/liĕn/
Wang Li	/ŋĭɐk̚/	/lĭĕn/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋiɐk̚/	/li̯ĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yì	lín
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jik6	lan4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ŋrak  C.r[ə][n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋraɡ  rin/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	逆	鱗
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	nì	lín
Middle Chinese	‹ ngjæk ›	‹ lin ›
Old Chinese	/*ŋrak/	/*C.r[ə][n]/
English	go against	scale of fish or reptile
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	逆	鱗
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	9474	8202
Phonetic component	屰	粦
Rime group	鐸	眞
Rime subdivision	0	1
Corresponding MC rime	逆	㷠
Old Chinese	/*ŋraɡ/	/*rin/

Noun

逆鱗

1. (figurative) personal grievance; trigger; pet peeve; taboo topic (especially that of a powerful person)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (逆鱗):

• → Japanese: 逆(げき)鱗(りん) (gekirin)
• → Korean: 역린(逆鱗) (yeongnin)

See also

• tickle the dragon's tail

Japanese

Kanji in this term
逆	鱗
げき Grade: 5	りん Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

Etymology

From the legend in Han Feizi of a scale (鱗) under a dragon's chin that grows backwards (逆) and causes the dragon to enter a fit of rage if touched.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) げきりん [gèkíríń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɡe̞kʲiɾʲĩɴ]

Noun

逆(げき)鱗(りん) • (gekirin) 

1. the anger of a superior

Idioms

• 逆鱗(げきりん)に触(ふ)れる (gekirin ni fureru)