巫

巫 U+5DEB, 巫 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5DEB ← 巪 [U+5DEA] CJK Unified Ideographs 巬 → [U+5DEC]

Translingual

Han character

巫 (Kangxi radical 48, 工+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 一人人 (MOO), four-corner 1010₈, composition ⿻工从)

Derived characters

• 𭇹, 𡷯, 𢃀, 𭰘, 𭸊, 𬂳, 𦈊, 誣(诬), 𬋲
• 覡(觋), 𨿏, 鵐(鹀), 莁, 筮, 毉, 𪚠, 靈, 𠳄, 𡋻, 𢀣, 𧨈, 𭏞, 𨽙, 𨽭, 𭩗, 𥽛, 𬝶, 𧈀

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 325, character 19
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8728
• Dae Jaweon: page 629, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 412, character 8
• Unihan data for U+5DEB

Chinese

simp. and trad.		巫
alternative forms		𢀣 𢍮 𠮎

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 巫
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

	Old Chinese
巫	*ma
誣	*ma
莁	*ma
鵐	*ma

Characters in the same phonetic series (巫) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

Pictogram (象形) – originally two pieces of jade crossed over each other as used in ancient shamanistic practices focused around sacrifices.

As an alternative, according to Zou Jingheng (鄒景蘅), they represent two 工 crossed over, hence two tools made of bamboo or yarrow stalks; the original meaning should be partly preserved in 筮.

Etymology

“shaman; witch”

This word initially referred to spirit medium/shaman of either sex, but eventually female when contrasted with 覡 (OC *ɡeːɡ, “male shaman”). Various hypotheses exist regarding its etymology (Schuessler, 2007):

1. Cognate with 舞 (OC *maʔ, “to dance”), derived from the original form 無 (OC *ma, “to dance; not to have”), perhaps due to the fact that shamans could engage in ritual dances.
2. Cognate with 母 (OC *mɯʔ, “female”).
3. Cognate with འབའ་མོ ('ba' mo, “sorceress”), from Tibetan འབའ་པོ ('ba' po, “magician, sorcerer”).
4. Cognate with 誣 (OC *ma, “to deceive”).
5. Victor Mair (1990) and Jao Tsung-I (1990) proposed that this is a loanword from Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐎢𐏁 (maguš) (more at Wikipedia: Magus). (Mair, 1990; Mair, 2012).

Thai หมอ (mɔ̌ɔ, “doctor”) < Proto-Tai *ʰmo:ᴬ (“shaman”) is generally assumed to be a Sino-Tibetan loan (Pittayaporn, 2014). More at Wu (shaman), Magi#In Chinese sources, magus.

“Malay”

Clipping of 巫來由／巫来由 (wūláiyóu), a transcription of Malay Melayu.

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	巫
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	武夫切
Baxter	mju
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mɨo/
Pan Wuyun	/mio/
Shao Rongfen	/mio/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/muə̆/
Li Rong	/mio/
Wang Li	/mĭu/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mi̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wú
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mou4

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	巫
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wū
Middle Chinese	‹ mju ›
Old Chinese	/*C.m(r)[o]/
English	magician
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	巫
Reading #	1/1
No.	13062
Phonetic component	巫
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	無
Old Chinese	/*ma/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wū, wú (wu¹, wu²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨ, ㄨˊ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mou⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): mu³

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): mù

  (Hailu, HRS): mu

  (Meixian, Guangdong): mu²

• Eastern Min (BUC): ŭ
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): bû

  (Teochew, Peng'im): bhu⁵

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶vu

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wū
    • Zhuyin: ㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wu
    • Wade–Giles: wu¹
    • Yale: wū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: u
    • Palladius: у (u)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, literary variant in Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wú
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wú
    • Wade–Giles: wu²
    • Yale: wú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wu
    • Palladius: у (u)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: mou⁴
    • Yale: mòuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mou̯²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: mu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐbu²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mù
    • Hakka Romanization System: mu^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: mu²
    • Sinological IPA: /mu¹¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: mu
    • Sinological IPA: /mu⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: mu²
    • Sinological IPA: /mu¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ŭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bû
    • Tâi-lô: bû
    • Phofsit Daibuun: buu
    • IPA (Xiamen): /bu²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bu²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bu¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /bu²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bu²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: bhu⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bû
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /bu⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶vu
    • MiniDict: vu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³vu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /vu²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: mju

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.m(r)[o]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ma/

Definitions

巫

1. shaman; witch; sorcerer; wizard
2. witch doctor
3. (chiefly Malaysia, Singapore) Malay; Melayu; relating to ethnic Malays

   巫統／巫统  ―  wūtǒng  ―  United Malays National Organisation, UMNO

4. a surname

   巫啟賢／巫启贤  ―  Wū Qǐxián  ―  Eric Moo (Malaysian Chinese singer-songwriter)

Descendants

• → English: wu

Compounds

• 大巫嫗 / 大巫妪
• 女巫 (nǚwū)
• 小巫見大巫 / 小巫见大巫 (xiǎowújiàndàwú)
• 巫人 (wūrén)
• 巫咸
• 巫妖 (wūyāo)
• 巫婆 (wūpó, “witch, sorceress”)
• 巫子
• 巫山 (Wūshān, “Wushan”)
• 巫山之夢 / 巫山之梦
• 巫山之會 / 巫山之会
• 巫山洛浦
• 巫山雲雨 / 巫山云雨 (wūshān yúnyǔ)
• 巫峰
• 巫峽 / 巫峡 (Wūxiá)
• 巫師 / 巫师 (wūshī, “sorcerer”)
• 巫教 (wūjiào)
• 巫族
• 巫樂 / 巫乐
• 巫毒教 (wūdújiào, “voodoo”)
• 巫溪 (Wūxī)
• 巫神 (wūshén)
• 巫祝 (wūzhù)
• 巫蠱 / 巫蛊
• 巫蠱之獄 / 巫蛊之狱
• 巫術 / 巫术 (wūshù, “shamanism, witchcraft, sorcery”)
• 巫裔 (wūyì)
• 巫覡 / 巫觋 (wūxí)
• 巫語 / 巫语 (wūyǔ)
• 巫醫 / 巫医 (wūyī, “witch doctor”)
• 祝巫
• 神巫 (shénwū)
• 雲雨巫山 / 云雨巫山

References

• “巫”, 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–

Japanese

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 巫

巫

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

1. shaman
2. witch, sorcerer

Readings

• Go-on: む (mu)
• Kan-on: ぶ (bu)
• Kan’yō-on: ふ (fu)
• Kun: みこ (miko, 巫)、かんなぎ (kannagi, 巫)

Compounds

• 県(あがた)巫(みこ) (agatamiko)
• 巫子(いちこ) (ichiko)
• 大(おお)御(み)巫(かむこ) (ōmikamuko)
• 男(おとこ)巫(みこ) (otokomiko)
• 乙女(おとめ)巫(みこ) (otomemiko)
• 女(おんな)巫(みこ) (onnamiko)
• 巫覡(きね) (kine)
• 里(さと)巫(みこ) (satomiko)
• 巫鳥(しとど) (shitodo)
• 女巫(じょふ) (jofu)
• 巫(すずし)女(め) (suzushime)
• 巫女(のろ) (noro)
• 肘(ひじ)巫(かんなぎ) (hijikannagi)
• 巫医(ふい) (fui): a shrine maiden and a doctor; someone who is both a shrine maiden and a doctor
• 巫峡(ふきょう) (fukyō): Wu Gorge (the second of China's Three Gorges)
• 巫覡(ふげき) (fugeki): male and female sorcerers and shamans
• 巫蠱(ふこ) (fuko)
• 巫山(ふざん) (Fuzan): Wushan, the Wu Mountains, a mountainous area in China along the Wu Gorge
• 巫山雲雨(ふざんうんう) (Fuzan'un'u)
• 巫山之夢(ふざんのゆめ) (Fuzannoyume)
• 巫史(ふし) (fushi)
• 巫呪(ふじゅ) (fuju)
• 巫祝(ふしゅく) (fushuku)
• 巫術(ふじゅつ) (fujutsu): shamanism; witchcraft, sorcery
• 巫女(ふじょ) (fujo)
• 御(み)巫(かんこ) (mikanko)
• 御(み)巫(かんなぎ) (mikannagi)
• 御(み)巫(こうのこ) (mikōnoko)
• 巫女(みこ) (miko): a shrine maiden
• 野巫(やぶ) (yabu)
• 湯(ゆ)巫(みこ) (yumiko)
• 霊巫(れいふ) (reifu)

Usage notes

This is the only kanji added to the jinmeiyō kanji list on 7 January 2015 by the Japanese government; previously classified as hyōgaiji.

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
巫
かんなぎ Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
覡

/kamunaɡi/ → /kaɴnaɡi/

From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 神 (kamu, “god, spirit”) +‎ 和ぎ (nagi, “calming, calming down”), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 和ぐ (nagu, “to become calm, to become quiet”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kã̠nːa̠ɡʲi]

Noun

巫(かんなぎ) • (kannagi) 

1. (archaic) a medium or shaman, usually female, who acts as a medium between humans and the spirits or gods, helping to communicate between the two and to calm any supernatural or spiritual upset

   Synonyms: 巫女 (miko), 神子 (kanko)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
巫
こうなぎ Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
覡

/kamunaɡi/ → /kaũnaɡi/ → /kaunaɡi/ → /kɔːnaɡi/ → /koːnaɡi/

Shift in pronunciation of the 神 (kamu) element, similar to the pattern seen in terms such as 神戸 (“Kōbe”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ko̞ːna̠ɡʲi]

Noun

巫(こうなぎ) • (kōnagi) ^{←かうなぎ (kaunagi)?}

1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) a medium or shaman, usually female, who acts as a medium between humans and the spirits or gods, helping to communicate between the two and to calm any supernatural or spiritual upset

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
巫
みこ Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 巫 – see the following entry.

【巫女みこ】 [noun] An unmarried woman who serves at a Shintō shrine, helping to receive visitors and performing 神楽 (kagura) dances at ceremonies, among other responsibilities. A shrine maid. [noun] An unmarried woman who serves a deity as a medium to convey oracles. Alternative spellings 神子, 神巫, 覡

(This term, 巫, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References

1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 巫 (MC mju). Recorded as Middle Korean 무 (mwu) (Yale: mwu) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

巫

Wikisource 巫 (eumhun 무당 무 (mudang mu))

1. hanja form^? of 무 (“shaman; something related to shamanism”)

Compounds

• 무녀 (巫女, munyeo)
• 무당 (巫堂, mudang)
• 무속 (巫俗, musok)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

巫: Hán Việt readings: vu

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.