矢

See also: 失, 先, and 笶

矢 U+77E2, 矢 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-77E2 ← 矡 [U+77E1] CJK Unified Ideographs 矣 → [U+77E3]

⽮ U+2F6E, ⽮ KANGXI RADICAL ARROW ← ⽭ [U+2F6D] Kangxi Radicals ⽯ → [U+2F6F]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

See images of
Radical 111 矢

矢 (Kangxi radical 111, 矢+0, 5 strokes, cangjie input 人大 (OK), four-corner 8043₀, composition ⿱𠂉大 or ⿰㇒天)

1. Kangxi radical #111, ⽮.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/矢
• 𠤑, 𠱈, 垁, 𭜟, 𪭨, 𪵳, 𨒔, 𪰕, 䀢, 䂠, 䛈, 聅, 䠶, 鉃, 𩶇, 𫨸, 𦘗, 雉, 𩲶, 鴙
• 𭰋, 𥿅, 𠤕, 𡧦, 㞺, 𫶬, 䒨, 𪰖, 𤼩, 𬐇, 𬙜, 笶, 医, 𡱁, 𢨻, 𢇻, 疾, 𤕺, 𪊢, 𨴊
• 侯, 候, 㑨, 族, 𨕀, 彘

See also

• 弓, 疑
• 至, which in early writing resembles 矢 pointing downward to the ground.

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 823, character 34
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 23929
• Dae Jaweon: page 1235, character 22
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2580, character 1
• Unihan data for U+77E2

Chinese

simp. and trad.		矢

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 矢
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

	Old Chinese
彘	*l'eds
璏	*l'eds, *ɢʷleds, *ɢʷled
薙	*l̥ʰiːs, *ljiʔ, *l'iʔ
知	*ʔl'e
蜘	*te
智	*ʔl'es
鼅	*te
潪	*teɡs, *deɡ
踟	*de
雉	*l'iʔ
矢	*hliʔ
痴	*l̥ʰɯ

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

Pictogram (象形) – an arrow. More recognizable in older forms. Compare 畀 and 至. See also the bottom component of 睪 and the original versions of 弗 and 𢦏.

Etymology 1

arrow

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d/s-ləj (“bow (weapon); slingshot”), with metonymic semantic shift from "bow" to "arrow"; cognate with Burmese လေး (le:, “bow; crossbow”), Mizo li (“spring (as of gun, watch, etc.)”), Japhug tɯdi (“bow”), zdi (“arrow”), Tangut 𘎗 (*lhjɨ̣¹, “bow”), 𗮆 (*ljị¹, “arrow”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007; Hill, 2013; Jacques, 2014; Zhang, Jacques and Lai, 2019).

to swear, to vow

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “From sense "arrow"?”)

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	書 (26)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	式視切
Baxter	syijX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɕˠiɪX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɕᵚiX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɕiɪX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɕjiX/
Li Rong	/ɕjiX/
Wang Li	/ɕiX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɕiX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si2

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shǐ
Middle Chinese	‹ syijX ›
Old Chinese	/*l̥i[j]ʔ/
English	arrow
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	矢
Reading #	1/1
No.	11504
Phonetic component	矢
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	矢
Old Chinese	/*hliʔ/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shǐ (shi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ci²
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): sṳ́

  (Meixian, Guangdong): si¹

• Northern Min (KCR): sǐ
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): sí / sír

  (Teochew, Peng'im): si²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵sy
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): shr³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shǐh
    • Wade–Giles: shih³
    • Yale: shř
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyy
    • Palladius: ши (ši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ci²
    • Yale: chí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: qi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiː³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ́
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: si³
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: si¹
    • Sinological IPA: /sz̩⁴⁴/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sǐ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sí
    • Tâi-lô: sí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sie
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /si⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /si⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sír
    • Tâi-lô: sír
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: si²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sí
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵sy
    • MiniDict: sy^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²sr
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sz̩³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: shr³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /ʂʐ̩⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /sz̩⁴¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: syijX

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*l̥i[j]ʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*hliʔ/

Definitions

矢

1. (Classical, archery, weaponry) arrow

   • 周道如砥，其直如矢。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhōu dào rú dǐ, qí zhí rú shǐ. [Pinyin]

     The way to Zhou was like a whetstone,
     And straight as an arrow.

2. to vow; to swear

   • 夫子矢之曰：「予所否者，天厭之，天厭之！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫子矢之曰：「予所否者，天厌之，天厌之！」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Fūzǐ shǐ zhī yuē: “Yú suǒ pǐ zhě, tiān yǎn zhī, tiān yǎn zhī!” [Pinyin]

     [T]he Master swore, saying, "Wherein I have done improperly, may Heaven reject me! may Heaven reject me!"

Synonyms

• (arrow):

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		箭, 矢
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		箭
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	箭
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	箭
	Xi'an	箭
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	箭
Cantonese	Hong Kong	箭
	Taishan	箭
Gan	Nanchang	箭
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	箭
Southern Min	Tainan	箭
	Penang (Hokkien)	箭

Dialectal synonyms of 箭 (“arrow”) [map]

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	書 (26)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	式視切
Baxter	syijX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɕˠiɪX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɕᵚiX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɕiɪX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɕjiX/
Li Rong	/ɕjiX/
Wang Li	/ɕiX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɕiX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si2

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
No.	11504
Phonetic component	矢
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	矢
Old Chinese	/*hliʔ/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shǐ (shi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): si²
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): si²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shǐh
    • Wade–Giles: shih³
    • Yale: shř
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyy
    • Palladius: ши (ši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: si²
    • Yale: sí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: si²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sí
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si⁵²/

---

• Middle Chinese: syijX

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*hliʔ/

Definitions

矢

1. Alternative form of 屎 (“excrement; poop”)

   石矢 [Cantonese]  ―  sek⁶ si² [Jyutping]  ―  concrete (alternative form of 石屎 (sek⁶ si²))

   • 夫愛馬者，以筐盛矢，以蜄盛溺。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫爱马者，以筐盛矢，以蜄盛溺。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Fú ài mǎ zhě, yǐ kuāng chéng shǐ, yǐ shèn chéng nì. [Pinyin]

     Those again who are fond of horses preserve their dung in baskets, and their urine in jars (made from large clamshell).

   • 廉將軍雖老，尚善飯；然與臣坐，頃之三遺矢矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     廉将军虽老，尚善饭；然与臣坐，顷之三遗矢矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Lián jiāngjūn suī lǎo, shàng shàn fàn; rán yǔ chén zuò, qǐngzhī sān yíshǐ yǐ. [Pinyin]

     General Lian, despite advanced age, has very good appetite. However, when conferring with me he had to excuse himself for toilet three times in a short while.

Compounds

• 一矢之地
• 兵盡矢窮／兵尽矢穷
• 嚆矢 (hāoshǐ)
• 弓折矢盡／弓折矢尽
• 弓矢 (gōngshǐ)
• 張弓挾矢／张弓挟矢
• 拉矢
• 攢矢／攒矢
• 有的放矢 (yǒudìfàngshǐ)
• 桃弧棘矢
• 桑弧蓬矢
• 栝矢亞／栝矢亚
• 楛矢
• 永矢弗諼／永矢弗谖
• 流矢
• 無的放矢／无的放矢 (wúdìfàngshǐ)
• 狗矢
• 發矢／发矢
• 眾矢之的／众矢之的 (zhòngshǐzhīdì)
• 矢下如雨
• 矢不虛發／矢不虚发
• 矢人 (shǐrén)
• 矢勤矢勇
• 矢口 (shǐkǒu)
• 矢口否認／矢口否认 (shǐkǒufǒurèn)
• 矢在弦上
• 矢志 (shǐzhì)
• 矢棋
• 矢無虛發／矢无虚发
• 矢盡兵窮／矢尽兵穷
• 矢石 (shǐshí)
• 矢石之間／矢石之间
• 矢石之難／矢石之难
• 矢石如雨 (shǐshí rúyǔ)
• 矢言 (shǐyán)
• 矢車菊／矢车菊 (shǐchējú)
• 矢量 (shǐliàng)
• 身當矢石／身当矢石
• 躬蹈矢石
• 鍛矢／锻矢
• 集矢
• 飛矢／飞矢

 

References

• “矢”, 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 矢

矢

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

1. arrow

Readings

• Go-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kun: や (ya, 矢, Jōyō)、さ (sa, 矢)
• Nanori: ただ (tada)、ただし (tadashi)、ちこう (chikō)^{←ちかう (tikau, historical)}、なお (nao)^{←なほ (nafo, historical)}

Compounds

Compounds

• 矢刃(しじん) (shijin)
• 矢(し)石(せき) (shiseki)
• 一矢(いっし) (isshi)
• 嚆矢(こうし) (kōshi)
• 矢張(やは)り (yahari), 矢(や)っ張(ぱ)り (yappari)

Usage notes

Used in the Nihon Shoki (720 CE) as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨si⟩.

Alternative forms

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

矢

Wikipedia ^ja

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Arrow

Wikipedia

Kanji in this term
矢
や Grade: 2
kun'yomi

• 箭

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese. Found in the Kojiki of 712 CE, and in the Man'yōshū completed some time after 759 CE.^[1]

Edo-era ceremonial arrowhead depicting an arrow.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) や [yáꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ja̠]

Noun

矢(や) • (ya) 

1. (archery, weaponry) an arrow

   光(こう)陰(いん)矢(や)の如(ごと)し。

   Kōin ya no gotoshi.

   Shine and shadow, just like an arrow. → Time flies like an arrow.

   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 3, poem 364:
     , text here

     大夫(ますらを)之(の)弓(ゆ)上(ずゑ)振(ふり)起(おこし)射都流(いつる)矢(や)乎(を)後(のち)将見(みむ)人(ひと)者(は)語(かたり)継(つぐ)金(がね) [Man'yōgana]

     ますらをの弓(ゆ)末(ずゑ)振(ふ)り起(おこ)し射(い)つる矢(や)を後(のち)見(み)む人(ひと)は語(かた)り継(つ)ぐがね [Modern spelling]

     masurao no yuzue furiokoshi itsuru ya o nochi mimu hito wa kataritsugu gane

     (please add an English translation of this example)

2. a wedge used to break hard objects such as wood or stone
3. a 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with various designs of arrows

Coordinate terms

• 弓(ゆみ) (yumi, “bow”)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 矢(や)面(おもて), 矢(や)表(おもて) (yaomote)
• 矢(や)傷(きず), 矢(や)疵(きず) (yakizu)
• 矢(や)倉(ぐら) (yagura)
• 矢(や)印(じるし) (yajirushi)
• 矢(や)継(つぎ), 矢継(やつ)ぎ (yatsugi)
• 矢(や)壺(つぼ), 矢(や)坪(つぼ) (yatsubo)
• 矢(や)所(どころ) (yadokoro)
• 流鏑馬(やぶさめ) (yabusame)
• 乙(おと)矢(や) (otoya)
• 落(お)とし矢(や), 落(おと)し矢(や) (otoshiya)
• 差(さし)矢(や), 差(さ)し矢(や) (sashiya)
• 猟(さつ)矢(や), 幸(さつ)矢(や) (satsuya)
• 猟(しし)矢(や), 鹿(しし)矢(や) (shishiya)
• 素矢(すや), 徒矢(すや) (suya)
• 征矢(そや) (soya)
• 止(とめ)矢(や), 止(と)め矢(や) (tomeya)
• 甲矢(はや), 兄矢(はや), 早矢(はや) (haya)
• 弓(ゆみ)矢(や) (yumiya, “bow and arrow”)

Proper noun

矢(や) • (Ya) 

1. a place name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
矢
さ Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.^[3]

Possibly cognate with Old Japanese-derived 幸 (sachi, “a hunting implement”) and Korean 살 (sal, “arrow”).

This reading does not appear to be used in modern Japanese.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sa̠]

Noun

矢(さ) • (sa) 

1. (obsolete) an arrow
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 20, poem 4430:
     , text here

     阿良之乎乃(あらしをの)伊乎(いを)佐(さ)太波佐美(たはさみ)牟可比多知(むかひたち)可奈流麻之都美(かなるましづみ)伊埿弖登阿我久流(いでてとあがくる) [Man'yōgana]

     荒(あら)し男(を)のいをさ手(た)挟(はさ)み向(むか)ひ立(た)ちかなるましづみ出(い)でてと我(あ)が来(く)る [Modern spelling]

     arasi-wo no iwo-sa tapasami mukapi-tati kanaruma sidumi idete to a ga kuru

     (please add an English translation of this example)

Derived terms

• 戦(いくさ), 軍(いくさ) (ikusa)
• 投(な)ぐる矢(さ)の (naguru sa no, pillow word)

References

1. c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 3, poem 262:

   , text here
2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
3. c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 20, poem 4430:

   , text here: the 佐 (sa) in man'yōgana in the original is interpreted by Daijisen as this 矢 (sa).

Khitan

Noun

矢 (transliteration needed) (khi)

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

Related terms

• 矢关 (“khitai”)

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰi]
• Phonetic hangul: [시]

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

矢

Wikisource 矢 (eumhun 화살 시 (hwasal si))

1. hanja form^? of 시 (“arrow”)

Vietnamese

Han character

矢: Hán Nôm readings: thỉ, tẻ, thẻ, yêu, tử, tủ, tú, siệu

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
矢

Noun

矢

1. chữ Hán form of thỉ (“arrow”).
2. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

• Nom Foundation
• Thiều Chửu : Hán Việt Tự Điển Hà Nội 1942
• Trần Văn Chánh: Từ Điển Hán Việt NXB Trẻ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999
• Vũ Văn Kính: Đại Tự Điển Chữ Nôm, NXB Văn Nghệ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999