末

See also: 夫, 禾, 天, 未, 夭, and 木

末	U+672B, 末 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-672B

← 未
[U+672A]

CJK Unified Ideographs

本 →
[U+672C]

More information Stroke order ...

Stroke order

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Han character

末 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 木十 (DJ), four-corner 5090₀, composition ⿻一木)

Derived characters

𠇱, 𠖾, 𠰌, 𡊉, 妺, 帓, 𢗿, 抹, 沫, 𠅒, 昩, 枺, 𣧣, 㶬, 䏞, 皌, 𤿗, 眜, 砞, 𥘯, 秣, 袜, 粖, 𥿉(𬘚), 䍪, 𮋥, 𦥦, 𬟼, 𮘀, 𧿴, 𮠢, 𱋊, 𣔍, 𫈪, 𣖛, 𫖀, 靺, 韎, 䬴, 𩠿, 𩢖, 䱅(𱇚), 䴲, 𬗱, 𫤳, 𣝖
𫖼, 𩗂, 𠅍, 𤿖, 𬑉, 𡘮, 𣖢, 𩈘, 𩑷, 𩿣, 𣞄, 㭆, 㭐, 茉, 𥬎, 𪜑, 唜, 𬰠

Descendants

ま
マ

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 509, character 6

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14420

Dae Jaweon: page 891, character 1

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1150, character 2

Unihan data for U+672B

More information simp. and trad. ...

simp. and trad.		末

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Glyph origin

More information Historical forms of the character 末, Western Zhou ...

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

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More information Old Chinese ...

	Old Chinese
眛	maːds, mɯːds
沬	maːds, hmɯːds, *mɯds
佅	*mraːds
韎	mreːds, maːd
帓	*mraːd
粖	meːd, maːd
末	*maːd
昩	*maːd
秣	*maːd
靺	*maːd
眜	*maːd
抹	*maːd
妺	*maːd
怽	*maːd
沫	*maːd
袜	*maːd

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

Ideogram (指事) : a tree (木) with its top highlighted with an extra stroke, implying the meaning of “apex”; contrast 本, 朱.

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

More information Variety, Location ...

Variety	Location	edit 末
Mandarin	Beijing	/mo⁵¹/
	Harbin	/mɤ⁵³/
	Tianjin	/mo⁵³/
	Jinan	/mə²¹/
	Qingdao	/mə⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/mo²⁴/
	Xi'an	/mo²¹/
	Xining	/mɔ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/muə¹³/
	Lanzhou	/mə¹³/ ～尾 /mə⁴⁴²/ ～～子
	Ürümqi	/mɤ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/mo²¹³/
	Chengdu	/mo³¹/
	Guiyang	/mo²¹/
	Kunming	/mo³¹/
	Nanjing	/moʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/mɐʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/maʔ²/
	Pingyao	/mʌʔ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/maʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/məʔ¹/
	Suzhou	/məʔ³/
	Hangzhou	/moʔ²/
	Wenzhou	/mø²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/mɔ²²/
Hui	Tunxi	/mo¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/mo²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/mo²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/mɵʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/mat̚⁵/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/mɑt̚⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/mut̚²/
	Nanning	/mut̚²²/
	Hong Kong	/mut̚²/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/buat̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/muaʔ⁵/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/muɛ⁴²/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/muak̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/muak̚⁵/ /muak̚³/

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More information Rime, Character ...

Rime
Character	末
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	末 (64)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	莫撥切
Baxter	mat
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/muɑt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/mʷɑt̚/
Shao Rongfen	/muɑt̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mwat̚/
Li Rong	/muɑt̚/
Wang Li	/muɑt̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/muɑt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mò
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mut⁶

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More information Character, Reading # ...

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	末
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	mò
Middle Chinese	‹ mat ›
Old Chinese	/*mˁat/
English	end of a branch
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.

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More information Zhengzhang system (2003), Character ...

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	末
Reading #	1/1
No.	9223
Phonetic component	末
Rime group	月
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	末
Old Chinese	/*maːd/

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Mandarin
(Pinyin): mò (mo⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): mut⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): ma̍t

(Meixian, Guangdong): mad⁶
Northern Min (KCR): muòi / mŏ̤
Eastern Min (BUC): muăk
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): pue² / buah⁷ / buoh⁷
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): boa̍h / boa̍t

(Teochew, Peng'im): bhuah⁸ / muêg⁸ / muag⁸
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁸meq / ⁸moq

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: mò
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: mò
  - Wade–Giles: mo⁴
  - Yale: mwò
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moh
  - Palladius: мо (mo)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (末兒／末儿)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: mòr
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: mòr
  - Wade–Giles: mo⁴-ʼrh
  - Yale: mòr
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moll
  - Palladius: мор (mor)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔɻ⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: mut⁶
  - Yale: muht
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mut⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: mud⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /muːt̚²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ma̍t
  - Hakka Romanization System: mad
  - Hagfa Pinyim: mad⁶
  - Sinological IPA: /mat̚⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: mad⁶
  - Sinological IPA: /mat̚⁵/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: muòi / mŏ̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /muɛ⁴²/, /mɔ²⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: muăk
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /muaʔ⁵/
Puxian Min
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: pue²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰuei¹³/
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: buah⁷
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /puaʔ⁴/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: buoh⁷
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /puoʔ²⁴/

Note:

pue2 - vernacular;
buah7/buoh7 - literary.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: boa̍h / boa̍t
  - Tâi-lô: bua̍h / bua̍t
  - Phofsit Daibuun: boah, boat
  - IPA (Xiamen): /buaʔ⁴/, /buat̚⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /buaʔ²⁴/, /buat̚²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /buaʔ¹²¹/, /buat̚¹²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /buaʔ⁴/, /buat̚⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /buaʔ⁴/, /buat̚⁴/

Note:

boa̍h - vernacular (“powder”);
boa̍t - literary.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: bhuah⁸ / muêg⁸ / muag⁸
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bua̍h / mue̍k / mua̍k
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /buaʔ⁴/, /muek̚⁴/, /muak̚⁴/

Note:

bhuah8 - vernacular;
muêg8, muag8 - literary.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
  - Wugniu: ⁸meq
  - MiniDict: meh^入
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁵meq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /məʔ¹²/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /məʔ²³/
- (Northern: Hangzhou)
  - Wugniu: ⁸moq
  - MiniDict: moh^入
  - Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /moʔ²³/

Dialectal data

Middle Chinese: mat

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*mˤat/

(Zhengzhang): /*maːd/

Definitions

末

tip; treetop
末梢 ― mòshāo ― tip; end
- 明足以察秋毫之末，而不見輿薪。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  明足以察秋毫之末，而不见舆薪。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Míng zúyǐ chá qiūháo zhī mò, ér bùjiàn yúxīn. [Pinyin]
  [M]y eyesight is sharp enough to examine the point of an autumn hair, but I do not see a cart-load of firewood.
(by extension) effect; result
本末 ― běnmò ― cause and effect
late or the last stage; conclusion; close
Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)

月末 ― yuèmò ― month-end

明末清初 ― Míng mò Qīng chū ― late-Ming and early-Qing era

文末提到 ― wén mò tídào ― Toward the end of the article, it was mentioned…
final; the last; concluding; closing; terminal
Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)

末代 ― mòdài ― the last (in one's lineage)

末日 ― mòrì ― doomsday; apocalypse

末法時期／末法时期 ― mò fǎ shíqī ― Dharma-ending age
insignificant; trivial; inferior; low-priority; low-class
捨本逐末／舍本逐末 ― shěběnzhúmò ― pursuing the unimportant while neglecting the essential
- 此大會也，曷為末言爾？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  此大会也，曷为末言尔？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE
  Cǐ dàhuì yě, héwèi mò yán ěr? [Pinyin]
  This was an important convention; why was it framed with words suggesting insignificance?
powder; fine particulate matter
粉末 ― fěnmò ― powder
(literary, dated) not; none; no (negative indicator)
Synonyms: 未 (wèi), 莫, 無／无
- 雖欲從之，末由也已。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  虽欲从之，末由也已。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Suī yù cóng zhī, mò yóu yě yǐ. [Pinyin]
  Though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so.
- 子曰：「不曰『如之何如之何』者，吾末如之何也已矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Zǐyuē: “Bù yuē ‘rúzhīhé rúzhīhé’ zhě, wú mò rúzhīhé yě yǐ yǐ.” [Pinyin]
  The Master said, "When a man is not in the habit of saying, 'What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?' I can indeed do nothing with him."
- 末不亦樂乎堯舜之知君子也？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  末不亦乐乎尧舜之知君子也？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE
  Mò bùyì lèhū Yáoshùn zhī zhī Jūnzǐ yě? [Pinyin]
  Is it not (literally, a double negative) also a joyful truth, that the ancient sages like Yao and Shun had known that a Noble One would go on to keep their teachings alive?
mo (a category of male roles in traditional Chinese theatre and opera)

Compounds

三梢末尾
且末
世界末日 (shìjiè mòrì)
世紀末／世纪末 (shìjìmò)
么末
凶終隙末
切末
副末
務本抑末／务本抑末
卑末
去本就末
四末
外末
天末
天末涼風／天末凉风
始末 (shǐmò)
姻末
封胡羯末
封胡遏末
小末
岑樓齊末／岑楼齐末
崇本抑末
底末
弩末
強弩之末／强弩之末 (qiángnǔzhīmò)
彊弩之末／强弩之末 (qiángnǔzhīmò)
彊本弱末／强本弱末
微末
忝在愛末／忝在爱末
捨本逐末／舍本逐末 (shěběnzhúmò)
損本逐末／损本逐末
敬陪末坐
敬陪末座
晚節末路／晚节末路
月末 (yuèmò)
期末考 (qīmòkǎo)
末上
末世 (mòshì)
末世論／末世论 (mòshìlùn)
末了 (mòliǎo)
末事
末代 (mòdài)
末代皇帝
末伏
末作
末位 (mòwèi)
末俗 (mòsú)
末光
末兒／末儿 (mòr)
本同末異／本同末异
末命
末堂
末大不掉
末大必折
末奈何
末如之何
末娘
末子 (mòzi)
末子堆
末學／末学 (mòxué)
末學膚受／末学肤受
末官
末尾 (mòwěi)
末尾三梢
末尾三稍
末席
末年 (mònián)
末座
末後／末后 (mòhòu)
末技
末日 (mòrì)
末期 (mòqī)
本末 (běnmò)
本末不稱／本末不称
末末了
本末倒置 (běnmòdàozhì)
本末有序
本末舛逆
本末顛倒／本末颠倒 (běnmòdiāndǎo)
末杪年
末梢 (mòshāo)
末梢神經／末梢神经
末梢頭／末梢头
末民
末法
末泥
末流 (mòliú)
末浪
末班車／末班车 (mòbānchē)
末異／末异
末疾
末站
末端 (mòduān)
末等
末節／末节 (mòjié)
末節細行／末节细行
末耐何
末腳／末脚
末臣
末著
末葉／末叶 (mòyè)
末藝／末艺 (mòyì)
末行
末議／末议
末路 (mòlù)
末路之難／末路之难
末路人
末路窮途／末路穷途
末躬
末造 (mòzào)
末過／末过
末那
末項／末项 (mòxiàng)
桑榆末景
棄本逐末／弃本逐末
正末
歲末／岁末 (suìmò)
殘燈末廟／残灯末庙
毫末
毫末之利
沖末／冲末
浮末
煤末
片長末技／片长末技
眇天末
砌末
研末
磨末器
神經末梢／神经末梢 (shénjīng mòshāo)
秋毫之末
窮途末路／穷途末路 (qióngtúmòlù)
篤篤末末／笃笃末末
粉末 (fěnmò)
細微末節／细微末节 (xìwēimòjié)
終末／终末 (zhōngmò)
細枝末節／细枝末节 (xìzhīmòjié)
結末／结末 (jiémò)
繁文末節／繁文末节
背本爭末／背本争末
背本趨末／背本趋末
舍本事末
舍本問末／舍本问末
芥末
英雄末路
茶末
茶葉末／茶叶末
莩末
落末
葭莩之末
藥末／药末 (yàomò)
蘋末／𬞟末
蘭花末兒／兰花末儿
起末
趨末背本／趋末背本
逐末
逐末捨本／逐末舍本
週末／周末 (zhōumò)
週末效應／周末效应
那末 (nàme)
醜末／丑末
錐刀之末／锥刀之末
鋸末／锯末 (jùmò)
頭上末下／头上末下
顛末／颠末 (diānmò)
高末兒／高末儿
麥末／麦末

Etymology 2

Pronunciation 1

More information Variety, Location ...

Variety	Location	edit 末
Mandarin	Beijing	/mo⁵¹/
	Harbin	/mɤ⁵³/
	Tianjin	/mo⁵³/
	Jinan	/mə²¹/
	Qingdao	/mə⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/mo²⁴/
	Xi'an	/mo²¹/
	Xining	/mɔ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/muə¹³/
	Lanzhou	/mə¹³/ ～尾 /mə⁴⁴²/ ～～子
	Ürümqi	/mɤ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/mo²¹³/
	Chengdu	/mo³¹/
	Guiyang	/mo²¹/
	Kunming	/mo³¹/
	Nanjing	/moʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/mɐʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/maʔ²/
	Pingyao	/mʌʔ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/maʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/məʔ¹/
	Suzhou	/məʔ³/
	Hangzhou	/moʔ²/
	Wenzhou	/mø²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/mɔ²²/
Hui	Tunxi	/mo¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/mo²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/mo²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/mɵʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/mat̚⁵/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/mɑt̚⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/mut̚²/
	Nanning	/mut̚²²/
	Hong Kong	/mut̚²/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/buat̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/muaʔ⁵/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/muɛ⁴²/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/muak̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/muak̚⁵/ /muak̚³/

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Mandarin
(Pinyin): me (me⁵／me⁰)

(Zhuyin): ˙ㄇㄜ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: me
  - Zhuyin: ˙ㄇㄜ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: me̊
  - Wade–Giles: mê⁵
  - Yale: me
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: .me
  - Palladius: мэ (mɛ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mə/

Dialectal data

Definitions

末

Same as 麼／么 (me).

Pronunciation 2

Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁰meq

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁰meq
  - MiniDict: meh
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁰meq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /məʔ/

Definitions

末 (Northern Wu)

Used to mark a conditional subordinate clause.
要是儂一家頭拿勿到末，叫個人來幫忙。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
要是侬一家头拿勿到末，叫个人来帮忙。 [Shanghainese, simp.]
⁵iau-zy ⁶non ⁷iq-ka-deu ⁶nau-veq-tau-meq ⁵ciau-gheq ⁶gnin ⁶le ¹paon-maon [Wugniu]
If you can’t carry it on your own, ask for someone to help.

儂勿去蘇州末，要告訴我一聲。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
侬勿去苏州末，要告诉我一声。 [Shanghainese, simp.]
From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309
⁶non ⁸veq-chi ¹su-tseu-meq ⁵iau ⁵kau-su ⁶ngu ⁷iq-san [Wugniu]
If you're not going to Suzhou, let me know.
Used to mark the topic in a topic-comment construction.
新衣裳末，我已經買了兩件。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
新衣裳末，我已经买了两件。 [Shanghainese, simp.]
From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309
¹shi-i-zaon-meq ⁶ngu ⁵i-cin ⁶ma-leq ⁶lian-ci [Wugniu]
As for the new clothes, I've already bought two of them.

Kanji

末

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

tip, top
end, terminal

Readings

Go-on: まっ (ma')、まつ (matsu, Jōyō)
Kan-on: ばつ (batsu, Jōyō)
Kun: うら (ura, 末)、うれ (ure, 末)、おわり (owari, 末わり)^{←をはり (wofari, 末はり, historical)}、すえ (sue, 末, Jōyō)^{←すゑ (suwe, 末, historical)}

Compounds

末(まっ)期(き) (makki)
末(まっ)社(しゃ) (massha)
末(まっ)梢(しょう) (masshō)
末(まつ)代(だい) (matsudai)
末(まっ)端(たん) (mattan)
末(まつ)尾(び) (matsubi)
結(けつ)末(まつ) (ketsumatsu)
始(し)末(まつ) (shimatsu): circumstances; beginning and end; settlement, disposal
週(しゅう)末(まつ) (shūmatsu): weekend
本(ほん)末(まつ) (honmatsu)

Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
末
すえ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

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From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) すえ [sùé] (Heiban – [0])^[2]^[3]^[4]
IPA^(key): [sɨe̞]

Noun

末(すえ) • (sue) ^{←すゑ (suwe)^?}

[from 720] the tip or top of a plant
1. a twig or shoot
  Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
2. a treetop
  Synonym: 梢 (kozue)
[from 712] the tip or end of something
Synonyms: 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)
[from 720] the top or peak of a mountain
Synonyms: 頂 (itadaki), 山頂 (sanchō)
[from 1205] the edge or verge of a road or field
Synonym: 外れ (hazure)
[from early 1000s] a descendant
Synonyms: 足末 (anasue), 子孫 (shison)
[from 720] the future, later, after
Synonyms: (future) 未来 (mirai), (future) 将来 (shōrai), (later) 後 (nochi)
[from early 800s] the end of a period of time
Synonyms: 終わり (owari), 末期 (makki)
[from early 1000s] (by extension) old age, the end period of a lifetime
Synonym: 晩年 (bannen, literally “evening years”)
[from 1435] (by extension) a degraded world, a world with low morals and corrupt politics
Synonym: 末の世 (sue no yo)
[from late 1500s] the end of a month, the latter third of a month
Synonym: 下旬 (gejun)
[from early 1000s] some time considerably later
[from early 1000s] the result, outcome, or trace, remains of something having been done
Synonyms: (result) 結果 (kekka), 名残 (nagori, “trace, remains”)

思(おも)い悩(なや)んだ末(すえ)
omoinayanda sue
at the end of deliberation
[from 1120] the direction in which someone has gone or will go
Synonym: 方向 (hōkō)
[from early 1000s] the youngest or last child
Synonym: 末子 (sueko)
[from early 1000s] youth, childhood
Synonym: 幼少 (yōshō)
[from early 1000s] the lowest seat, the seat at the foot of a table; the lowest rank
Synonyms: 末座 (matsuza), 末席 (masseki), 下座 (shimoza)
[from early 900s] the last two seven-mora stanzas or lines of a 短歌 (tanka) poem
Synonyms: 下の句 (shimo no ku), 下句 (shimoku)
[from early 1000s] the end of a sentence or word
Synonyms: (of a sentence) 文末 (bunmatsu), (of a word) 語尾 (gobi)
[from mid-1000s] the latter portion of a book or serial
Synonym: 後編 (kōhen)
[from 1182] the origin, the starting point
Synonyms: (origin) 元 (moto), (starting point) 起点 (kiten)
[from 1435] (historical) the interior rooms of a palace or manor where maids worked; a maid who worked in such a household
Synonym: 御末 (osue)
[from 1682] a low class or grade; an item of low class or grade
Synonyms: (low class or grade) 下級 (kakyū), (item of low class or grade) 下級品 (kakyūhin), (low class or grade) 下等 (katō), (item of low class or grade) 下等品 (katōhin)
[unknown] something minor, a trifle
[from 1179] downstream
Synonyms: 川下 (kawashita), 下流 (karyū)
[from late 800s] (kagura, music) in a 神楽 (kagura) performance, the seats on the right side facing the altar or shrine; the performers playing in these seats
Synonym: 末方 (suekata)

Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
末
うら Grade: 4
kun'yomi

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From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɾa̠]

Noun

末(うら) • (ura)

[from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
1. a twig or shoot
  Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
2. a treetop
  Synonym: 梢 (kozue)
[from late 1500s] (archaic) the tip or end of something
Synonyms: 末 (sue), 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)

Etymology 3

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Kanji in this term
末
うれ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

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From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɾe̞]

Noun

末(うれ) • (ure)

[from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
1. a twig or shoot
  Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
2. a treetop
  Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

Etymology 4

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Kanji in this term
末
まつ Grade: 4
goon

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From Middle Chinese 末 (MC mat).

First attested in Japanese in 1120.^[1]

Noun

末(まつ) • (matsu)

[from 1120] powder
Synonyms: 粉 (kona), 粉末 (funmatsu)
[from 1804] (theater) in traditional Chinese theater, an extra, a minor part
Synonym: (extra or minor part in any theatrical tradition) 端役 (hayaku)

Suffix

末(まつ) • (-matsu)

[from at least 1911] the end of a period of time

References

[1]
Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
[2]
Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
[3]
NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
[4]
Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Hanja

末 (eumhun 끝 말 (kkeut mal))

(끝): the end, last, low
(가루): flour, powder
(허드레): something coarse, improper, inferior, trivial
- 1431: 鄕藥採取月令^[1] 十二月 (향약채취월령 십이월, hyang-yag-chaechwi-wolryeong sib-iwol):
  芰實鄕名末栗'"`UNIQ-ref00000058QINU`"' '"`UNIQ-ref00000059QINU`"' (기실향명말밤, gisilhyangmyeongmalbam, "The folk name of the water caltrop fruit is coarse chestnut.")
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Compounds

end, last

末端 (말단, maldan)
末年 (말년, malnyeon)
年末 (연말, yeonmal)
終末 (종말, jongmal)
期末 (기말, kimal)

flour, powder

紛末 (분말, bunmal)

something coarse

末栗 (말밤, malbam) ^[2]