宇宙

Chinese

FWOTD – 5 November 2014

		room; universe	universe
simp. and trad. (宇宙)		宇	宙

Wikipedia has an article on:

• 宇宙

Etymology

Attested in several pre-Qin texts.

Meyer (2010) proposes that "eaves and roof beams" was a synecdoche for a domicile's entire space; this figure of speech would later be appropriated by early authors and later Huainanziʼs contributors as "a metaphor for the cosmos, taking “eaves” ["宇" yǔ] and “roof beams” ["宙" zhòu] to represent the dimensions of space and time[, respectively] that compose the entire phenomenal universe."^[1]

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	宇	宙
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	云 (35)	澄 (11)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	王矩切	直祐切
Baxter	hjuX	drjuwH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɨoX/	/ɖɨuH/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦioX/	/ɖiuH/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣioX/	/ȡiəuH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦuə̆X/	/ɖuwH/
Li Rong	/ɣioX/	/ȡiuH/
Wang Li	/ɣĭuX/	/ȡĭəuH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯uX/	/ȡʱi̯ə̯uH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yǔ	zhòu
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu5	zau6

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	宇
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ hjuX ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɢ]ʷ(r)aʔ/
English	eaves
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	宇	宙
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	15719	15519
Phonetic component	于	由
Rime group	魚	奧
Rime subdivision	0	2
Corresponding MC rime	羽	胄
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷaʔ/	/*l'ɯwɢs/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǔzhòu

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˇ ㄓㄡˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁵ zau⁶

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): yî-chhiu
• Eastern Min (BUC): ṳ̄-dêu
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ú-tiǔ / ú-tiū / í-tiū

  (Teochew, Peng'im): u² diu⁶

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶yu-zeu

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǔzhòu
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˇ ㄓㄡˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǔjhòu
    • Wade–Giles: yü³-chou⁴
    • Yale: yǔ-jòu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeujow
    • Palladius: юйчжоу (jujčžou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyu⁵ zau⁶
    • Yale: yúh jauh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁵ dzau⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu⁵ zeo⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː¹³ t͡sɐu̯²²/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yî-chhiu
    • Hakka Romanization System: i^ˊ qiu
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yi¹ qiu⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /i²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰi̯u⁵⁵/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yî-chhiu
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)i^ˊ qiu
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yi¹ qiu⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰi̯u⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ṳ̄-dêu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³³⁻⁵⁵ ^(t-)liɛu²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ú-tiǔ
    • Tâi-lô: ú-tiǔ
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /u⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ tiu²²/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ú-tiū
    • Tâi-lô: ú-tiū
    • Phofsit Daibuun: w'diu
    • IPA (Taipei): /u⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tiu³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /u⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tiu²²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /u⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ tiu³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: í-tiū
    • Tâi-lô: í-tiū
    • Phofsit Daibuun: y'diu
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /i⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tiu²²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: u² diu⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ú tiŭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u⁵²⁻³⁵ tiu³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶yu-zeu
    • MiniDict: yu^去 zeu
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hhy-zeu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦy²² zɤ⁴⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: hjuX drjuwH

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷaʔ  l'ɯwɢs/

Noun

宇宙

1. universe; cosmos; macrocosm; space

   探索宇宙的奧秘／探索宇宙的奥秘  ―  tànsuǒ yǔzhòu de àomì  ―  to explore the mysteries of the universe

   • 精通乎天地，神覆乎宇宙； [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

     Jīng tōng hū tiāndì, shén fù hū yǔzhòu; [Pinyin]

     His vital essence circulates through Heaven and Earth, and his spirit covers the cosmos.

   • 故聖人之事，廣之則極宇宙、窮日月，約之則無出乎身者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     故圣人之事，广之则极宇宙、穷日月，约之则无出乎身者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

     Gù shèngrén zhī shì, guǎng zhī zé jí yǔzhòu, qióng rìyuè, yuē zhī zé wú chū hū shēn zhě yě. [Pinyin]

     Hence, what the sage does, considered in terms of its breadth, reaches to the ends of the universe, to the very limit of where the sun and moon shine; but when considered in terms of its essentials, it does not go out beyond his own person.

2. roof, ridgepole and beams (of a house)

   • 而燕雀佼之，以為不能與之爭於宇宙之間。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     而燕雀佼之，以为不能与之争于宇宙之间。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Huainanzi, 2^nd century BCE

     Ér yànquè jiǎo zhī, yǐwèi bùnéng yǔ zhī zhēng yú yǔzhòu zhījiān. [Pinyin]

     And the swallows and sparrows are complacent, thinking that (the phoenix) cannot compete with them near the roof, ridgepole and beams of a house.

3. heaven and earth; all under heaven; country

   • 經緯天地而材官萬物，制割大理而宇宙裡矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     经纬天地而材官万物，制割大理而宇宙里矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Jīngwěi tiāndì ér cái guān wànwù, zhì gē dàlǐ ér yǔzhòu lǐ yǐ. [Pinyin]

     He sets straight Heaven and Earth, and arranges and makes useful the myriad things. He institutes great order, and the whole world is encompassed therein.

4. (infinite) space and time

   • 舜以天下讓善卷，善卷曰：「余立於宇宙之中，冬日衣皮毛，夏日衣葛絺；春耕種，形足以勞動；秋收斂，身足以休息；日出而作，日入而息，逍遙於天地之間而心意自得。吾何以天下為哉？悲夫！子之不知余也！」遂不受。於是去而入深山，莫知其處。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     舜以天下让善卷，善卷曰：「余立于宇宙之中，冬日衣皮毛，夏日衣葛𫄨；春耕种，形足以劳动；秋收敛，身足以休息；日出而作，日入而息，逍遥于天地之间而心意自得。吾何以天下为哉？悲夫！子之不知余也！」遂不受。于是去而入深山，莫知其处。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Shùn yǐ tiānxià ràng Shànjuǎn, Shànjuǎn yuē: “Yú lì yú yǔzhòu zhī zhōng, dōng rì yī pímáo, xià rì yī gěchī; chūn gēngzhòng, xíng zú yǐ láodòng; qiū shōuliǎn, shēn zú yǐ xiūxī; rì chū ér zuò, rì rù ér xī, xiāoyáo yú tiāndì zhījiān ér xīnyì zìdé. Wú héyǐ tiānxià wéi zāi? Bēi fū! Zǐ zhī bù zhī yú yě!” Suì bù shòu. Yúshì qù ér rù shēnshān, mò zhī qí chù. [Pinyin]

     Shun proposed to resign the throne to Shan Juan, who said, 'I am a unit in the midst of space and time. In winter I wear skins and furs; in summer, grass-cloth and linen; in spring I plough and sow, my strength being equal to the toil; in autumn I gather in my harvest, and am prepared to cease from labour and eat. At sunrise I get up and work; at sunset I rest. So do I enjoy myself between heaven and earth, and my mind is content: why should I have anything to do with the throne? Alas! that you, Sir, do not know me better!' Thereupon he declined the proffer, and went away, deep among the hills, no man knew where.

Derived terms

• 元宇宙 (yuányǔzhòu)
• 多元宇宙 (duōyuán yǔzhòu)
• 大宇宙 (dàyǔzhòu)
• 宇宙人 (yǔzhòurén)
• 宇宙塵／宇宙尘 (yǔzhòuchén)
• 宇宙大爆炸
• 宇宙學／宇宙学 (yǔzhòuxué)
• 宇宙射線／宇宙射线 (yǔzhòu shèxiàn)
• 宇宙年
• 宇宙火箭
• 宇宙空間／宇宙空间 (yǔzhòu kōngjiān)
• 宇宙站
• 宇宙線／宇宙线 (yǔzhòuxiàn)
• 宇宙航行
• 宇宙觀／宇宙观 (yǔzhòuguān)
• 宇宙論／宇宙论 (yǔzhòulùn)
• 宇宙通信
• 宇宙速度 (yǔzhòu sùdù)
• 宇宙鋒／宇宙锋
• 宇宙飛船／宇宙飞船 (yǔzhòu fēichuán)
• 封閉宇宙學說／封闭宇宙学说
• 小宇宙 (xiǎoyǔzhòu)
• 島宇宙／岛宇宙
• 平行宇宙 (píngxíng yǔzhòu)
• 膨脹宇宙／膨胀宇宙
• 開放宇宙學說／开放宇宙学说

 

Related terms

• 人間／人间 (rénjiān)
• 世界 (shìjiè)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (宇宙):

• → Japanese: 宇(う)宙(ちゅう) (uchū)
• → Korean: 우주(宇宙) (uju)
• → Vietnamese: vũ trụ (宇宙)

References

1. Meyer, Andrew Seth "Appendix A: Key Chinese Terms and Their Translations - Entry 'yuzhou 宇宙'" in Liu An (2010) The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China. translated and edited by Mayor, Queen, Meyer, & Roth. Series: Translations from the Asian Classics. New York: Columbia University Press

Further reading

• 王先謙 Wang Xianqian (compiler), 《莊子集解》 Zhuangzi - Collected Explanations. Quote: 「尸子云:『 天地四方曰宇，古往今來曰宙。』」. Rough translation: "Shizi said: '(What's within) Heaven's and Earth's four directions is called yǔ ("宇"; "space"); (what lasts) from past to present is called zhòu ("宙", "time").'"

Japanese

Kanji in this term
宇	宙
う Grade: 6	ちゅう Grade: 6
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うちゅう [úꜜchùù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟t͡ɕɨː]

Noun

宇(う)宙(ちゅう) • (uchū) 

1. the universe
2. outer space

Synonyms

• 天(てん)地(ち) (tenchi, “heaven and earth”)
• 自(し)然(ぜん) (shizen, “nature”)
• 世(せ)界(かい) (sekai, “the world”)
• 万(ばん)象(しょう) (banshō, “all things, all of the universe, every manifestation of nature”)
• 万(ばん)物(ぶつ) (banbutsu, “all things, all of the universe, every manifestation of nature”)
• (outer space): スペース (supēsu)

Derived terms

• アメリカ航(こう)空(くう)宇(う)宙(ちゅう)局(きょく) (Amerika Kōkū Uchūkyoku, “NASA”)
• 大(だい)宇(う)宙(ちゅう) (daiuchū, “macrocosm”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)ごみ (uchū-gomi, “space debris”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)ステーション (uchū sutēshon, “space station”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)ロケット (uchū roketto, “space rocket”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)中(ちゅう)継(けい) (uchū chūkei, “satellite relay”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)人(じん) (uchūjin, “space alien”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)公(こう)害(がい) (uchū kōgai, “space debris”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)兵(へい)器(き) (uchū heiki, “space weaponry”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)医(い)学(がく) (uchū igaku, “space medicine”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)博(はく) (uchūhaku)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)原(げん)理(り) (uchū genri, “cosmological principle”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)基(き)地(ち) (uchū kichi, “space station”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)塵(じん) (uchūjin, “cosmic dust”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)大(だい)爆(ばく)発(はつ) (uchū daibakuhatsu, “Big Bang”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)学(がく) (uchūgaku, “cosmology”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)定(てい)数(すう) (uchū teisū, “cosmological constant”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)工(こう)学(がく) (uchū kōgaku, “astronautics”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)帽(ぼう) (uchūbō, “space helmet”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)探(たん)査(さ) (uchū tansa, “space exploration”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)旅(りょ)行(こう) (uchū ryokō, “space travel”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)服(ふく) (uchūfuku, “space suit”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)法(ほう) (uchūhō, “space law”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)物(ぶつ)理(り) (uchū butsuri, “space physics”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)産(さん)業(ぎょう) (uchū sangyō, “space industry”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)病(びょう) (uchūbyō, “space nausea”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)発(はっ)生(せい)論(ろん) (uchū hasseiron, “cosmogony”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)科(か)学(がく) (uchū kagaku)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)空(くう)間(かん) (uchū kūkan, “void of space”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)線(せん) (uchūsen, “cosmic ray”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)背(はい)景(けい)放(ほう)射(しゃ) (uchū haikei hōsha, “cosmic background radiation”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)航(こう)空(くう)研(けん)究(きゅう)開(かい)発(はつ)機(き)構(こう) (Uchū Kōkū Kenkyū Kaihatsu Kikō, “Japanese Exploration Agency”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)船(せん) (uchūsen, “spaceship”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)観(かん) (uchūkan)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)論(ろん) (uchūron, “cosmology”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)速(そく)度(ど) (uchū sokudo, “escape velocity”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)通(つう)信(しん) (uchū tsūshin, “space communication”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)進(しん)化(か)論(ろん) (uchū shinkaron, “cosmogony”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)遊(ゆう)泳(えい) (uchū yūei, “space walk”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)酔(よ)い (uchū-yoi, “space sickness”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)開(かい)発(はつ) (uchū kaihatsu, “space exploration”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)開(かい)闢(びゃく) (uchū kaibyaku)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)電(でん)波(ぱ) (uchū denpa, “cosmic radio waves”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)飛(ひ)行(こう) (uchū hikō, “space flight”)
• 宇(う)宙(ちゅう)食(しょく) (uchūshoku, “space food”)
• 小(しょう)宇(う)宙(ちゅう) (shōuchū, “microcosm”)
• 深(しん)宇(う)宙(ちゅう) (shin'uchū, “deep space”)
• 米(べい)航(こう)空(くう)宇(う)宙(ちゅう)局(きょく) (Bei Kōkū Uchūkyoku, “NASA”)
• 航(こう)空(くう)宇(う)宙(ちゅう)工(こう)学(がく) (kōkū uchū kōgaku, “aerospace engineering”)
• 航(こう)空(くう)宇(う)宙(ちゅう)技(ぎ)術(じゅつ)研(けん)究(きゅう)所(じょ) (Kōkū Uchū Gijutsu Kenkyūjo, “National Aerospace Laboratory”)
• 航(こう)空(くう)宇(う)宙(ちゅう)産(さん)業(ぎょう) (kōkū uchū sangyō, “aerospace industry”)

 

Proper noun

Kanji in this term
宇	宙
ひろ Grade: 6	し Grade: 6

宇(ひろ)宙(し) • (Hiroshi) 

1. a male given name

Korean

Hanja in this term
宇	宙

Noun

宇宙 • (uju) (hangeul 우주)

1. hanja form^? of 우주 (“outer space; universe; cosmos”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
宇	宙

Noun

宇宙

1. chữ Hán form of vũ trụ (“outer space; universe; cosmos”).