熊

According to Shuowen, phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷlɯm): semantic 能 (“bear”) + abbreviated phonetic 炎 (OC *ɦlam).
This character originally represented an onomatopoetic word (熊熊 (xióngxióng, “(of flame) raging”)). Later its semantic component 能 (OC *nɯː, *nɯːs, *nɯːŋ, *nɯːŋʔ), the character for the Old Chinese word "bear", was borrowed for another word. This character thus began to represent the word "bear" instead.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tV-wəm. Cognate with Tibetan དོམ (dom, “bear”), Burmese ဝံ (wam) (in ဝက်ဝံ (wak-wam, “bear”)).

Han compound

What dreams are lucky?
They have been about black bears and brown bears;
They have been about asps and adders.

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

Jí mèng wéi hé?
Wéi xióng wéi pí,
Wéi huǐ wéi shé.

吉夢維何？
維熊維羆、
維虺維蛇。

吉梦维何？
维熊维罴、
维虺维蛇。

(archaic, Muping and Xining Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin) black bear


梅子

/meɪ̯³⁵ d͡z̥z̩³/

/muːi̯²¹ t͡siː³⁵/

/meɪ̯³⁵ d͡z̥z̩³/

/muːi̯²¹ t͡siː³⁵/


狗窩

/koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɔ⁵⁵/

/kɐu̯³⁵ wɔː⁵⁵/

/kiɛu²¹³⁻¹³ uo⁴²/

/kəu⁵³ vɤ¹¹/

/koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɔ⁵⁵/

/kɐu̯³⁵ wɔː⁵⁵/

/kiɛu²¹³⁻¹³ uo⁴²/

/kəu⁵³ vɤ¹¹/

(Sichuanese, Guiyang, Luoyang and Xuzhou Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin, figurative) pigsty; dump (used to describe a dirty and very untidy place)


老子娘

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴ d͡z̥z̩⁴ ni̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴ d͡z̥z̩⁴ ni̯ɑŋ³⁵/

(Jixi Huizhou, Xinzhou Jin) father and mother; parents


妹子

/meɪ̯⁵¹ d͡z̥z̩¹/

/muːi̯²² t͡siː³⁵/

/moi̯⁵⁵ t͡sɨ³¹/

/mɛ⁵⁵ t͡siɛ²¹/

/me̞i̯²¹⁻¹¹ t͡sz̩³/

/mai̯²¹⁻¹¹ t͡sz̩³/

/meɪ̯⁵¹ d͡z̥z̩¹/

/muːi̯²² t͡siː³⁵/

/moi̯⁵⁵ t͡sɨ³¹/

/mɛ⁵⁵ t͡siɛ²¹/

/me̞i̯²¹⁻¹¹ t͡sz̩³/

/mai̯²¹⁻¹¹ t͡sz̩³/

/meɪ̯⁵¹ d͡z̥z̩¹/

/muːi̯²² t͡siː³⁵/

(Xinzhou Jin, endearing) A term of address used by a young husband to his wife.


水門

/ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mən³⁵/

/sɵy̯³⁵ muːn²¹/

/t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍²⁴/

/t͡sui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ mŋ̍²⁴/

/t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍¹³/

/t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍²⁴/

/t͡sui⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍²³/

/ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mən³⁵/

/sɵy̯³⁵ muːn²¹/

/t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍²⁴/

/t͡sui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ mŋ̍²⁴/

/t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍¹³/

/t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍²⁴/

/t͡sui⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ mŋ̍²³/

(Xinzhou Jin) vulva of a female farm animal


螞蚱

/mä⁵¹ ɖ͡ʐ̥ä¹/

/maː²² t͡saː³³/

/mä⁵¹ ɖ͡ʐ̥ä¹/

/maː²² t͡saː³³/


馬鬃

/mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

/maː¹³ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

/ma⁴⁴ t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴/

/be⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡saŋ⁴⁴/

/be⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡saŋ⁴⁴/

/be⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡saŋ³³/

/mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

/maː¹³ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

/ma⁴⁴ t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴/

/be⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡saŋ⁴⁴/

/be⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡saŋ⁴⁴/

/be⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡saŋ³³/


老媽子

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mä⁵⁵ d͡z̥z̩²/

/lou̯¹³ maː⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵/

/lau²¹³⁻¹³ ma⁴² t͡sz̩²/

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mä⁵⁵ d͡z̥z̩²/

/lou̯¹³ maː⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵/

/lau²¹³⁻¹³ ma⁴² t͡sz̩²/

(Xuzhou Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin, Yudu Hakka) procuress; female brothel-keeper


人情世事

/iŋ⁵³⁻³³ ^((t͡s-))ʒiŋ⁵³⁽⁻²¹⁾ sie²¹³⁻⁵³ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾løy²⁴²/

/lin²⁴⁻²² t͡siɪŋ²⁴⁻²² se²¹⁻⁵³ su²²/

/lin²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡siɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ se¹¹⁻⁵³ su³³/

/zin²³⁻³³ t͡siɪŋ²³⁻³³ se²¹⁻⁴¹ su³³/

/naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sʰeŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ si²¹³⁻⁵⁵ sɯ¹¹/

/lin²⁴⁻²² t͡siɪŋ²⁴⁻²² se²¹⁻⁵³ su²²/

/lin²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡siɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ se¹¹⁻⁵³ su³³/

/zin²³⁻³³ t͡siɪŋ²³⁻³³ se²¹⁻⁴¹ su³³/

/naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sʰeŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ si²¹³⁻⁵⁵ sɯ¹¹/

2001, “家後”, performed by 江蕙 [Jody Chiang]:

I've seen the ways of the world thoroughly. Who is more important than you?

lîn-chêng-sè-sū í-keng khòaⁿ thàu-thàu, ū siáⁿ-lâng pí lí khah tiōng-iàu

人情世事已經看透透 有啥人比你卡重要

人情世事已经看透透 有啥人比你卡重要

(Xinzhou Jin, Eastern Min, Southern Min) the ways of the world; traditional code of conduct; worldly wisdom


兄弟姊妹

ㄒㄩㄥ ㄉㄧˋ ㄗˇ ㄇㄟˋ

ㄒㄩㄥ ㄉㄧˋ ㄗˇ ㄇㄟˋ

сюнди цзымэй

/ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ ti⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ meɪ̯⁵¹/

/hɪŋ⁵⁵ tɐi̯²² t͡siː³⁵ muːi̯²²/

/hi̯uŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ tʰi⁵⁵ t͡si³¹ moi̯⁵⁵/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ be²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁴²⁻²⁴ be²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ be³³/

/hiã³³ ti²² t͡si⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ bə⁴¹/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ mãi³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mãi²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ muẽ³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻²¹ t͡si⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ muẽ³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ muãi³³/

/hiã³³ ti³³⁻²² t͡si⁵⁵⁻³⁵ bə³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁴²⁻²⁴ bə²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻¹² t͡si⁵³⁻²⁴ bə²²/

/ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ ti⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ meɪ̯⁵¹/

/hɪŋ⁵⁵ tɐi̯²² t͡siː³⁵ muːi̯²²/

/hi̯uŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ tʰi⁵⁵ t͡si³¹ moi̯⁵⁵/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ be²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁴²⁻²⁴ be²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ be³³/

/hiã³³ ti²² t͡si⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ bə⁴¹/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ mãi³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mãi²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ muẽ³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻²¹ t͡si⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ muẽ³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ ti³³⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ muãi³³/

/hiã³³ ti³³⁻²² t͡si⁵⁵⁻³⁵ bə³³/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁴²⁻²⁴ bə²²/

/hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²⁻¹² t͡si⁵³⁻²⁴ bə²²/

(Bijie Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin) sister-in-law (younger brother's wife)


大油

/tä⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵/

/taːi̯²² jɐu̯²¹/

/tua²²⁻²¹ iu²⁴/

/tua⁴¹⁻²² iu²⁴/

/tua²²⁻²¹ iu¹³/

/tua³³⁻¹¹ iu²⁴/

/tua³³⁻²¹ iu²³/

/tä⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵/

/taːi̯²² jɐu̯²¹/

/tua²²⁻²¹ iu²⁴/

/tua⁴¹⁻²² iu²⁴/

/tua²²⁻²¹ iu¹³/

/tua³³⁻¹¹ iu²⁴/

/tua³³⁻²¹ iu²³/


結拜

/t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹/

/kiɛt̚⁵⁻²⁴ pai⁴¹/

/kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ pai¹¹/

/kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ pai²¹/

/kiɛt̚³²⁻⁵ pai²¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹/

/kiɛt̚⁵⁻²⁴ pai⁴¹/

/kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ pai¹¹/

/kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ pai²¹/

/kiɛt̚³²⁻⁵ pai²¹/


牛子

/ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/nʲiəu²¹ t͡sz̩⁵³/

/ŋɐu̯²¹ t͡siː³⁵/

/ŋi̯u¹¹ t͡sɨ³¹/

/ŋiu⁵⁵ t͡sɨ²⁴/

/ɡu²³⁻³³ t͡si⁴¹/

/ɡu²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³/

/ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/nʲiəu²¹ t͡sz̩⁵³/

/ŋɐu̯²¹ t͡siː³⁵/

/ŋi̯u¹¹ t͡sɨ³¹/

/ŋiu⁵⁵ t͡sɨ²⁴/

/ɡu²³⁻³³ t͡si⁴¹/

/ɡu²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³/


望眼鏡

/mɔŋ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ ŋian³¹ kiaŋ⁵³/

/bɔŋ³³⁻²¹ ɡan⁵³⁻⁵⁵ kiã²¹/

/bɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ ɡan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kiã¹¹/

/mɔŋ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ ŋian³¹ kiaŋ⁵³/

/bɔŋ³³⁻²¹ ɡan⁵³⁻⁵⁵ kiã²¹/

/bɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ ɡan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kiã¹¹/

(Lichuan Gan, Meixian Hakka, Xinzhou Jin, Taiwanese Hokkien) telescope


老丈母

(Sichuanese, Guiyang and Kunming Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin) wife's mother; mother-in-law (of a man)


小羊子

/ɕiau⁵³ iaŋ²¹ t͡sz̩⁵³/

/ɕiau⁵³ iaŋ²¹ t͡sz̩⁵³/

(Southwestern Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin, Danyang Wu) lamb; kid (young caprine)


花生仁子

/ˈfa⁴² sɛn⁴² lɨn³⁵ t͡sz̩²/

/ˈfa⁴² sɛn⁴² lɨn³⁵ t͡sz̩²/

(Gan, Xinzhou Jin) shelled peanut; peanut kernel


叉叉褲

/t͡sʰa⁵³ t͡sʰa⁵³⁻²¹ kʰu²¹³/

/t͡sʰa⁵³ t͡sʰa⁵³⁻²¹ kʰu²¹³/

(dialectal Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin) open-crotch pants (usually for toddlers)


痰盂子

(dialectal Mandarin, Gan, Xinzhou Jin) spittoon


左拐子

(Southwestern Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin) left-hander


樓下頭

/nəu²¹ ɕia²¹³ tʰəu²¹⁻⁵⁵/

/lɤ²² ɦo⁵⁵ dɤ²¹/

/nəu²¹ ɕia²¹³ tʰəu²¹⁻⁵⁵/

/lɤ²² ɦo⁵⁵ dɤ²¹/


樓上頭

/ləu̯¹³ ʂan²¹⁻¹¹ təu̯³/

/ləu̯¹³ san²¹⁻¹¹ təu̯³/

/ləu̯¹³ ʂan²¹⁻¹¹ təu̯³/

/ləu̯¹³ san²¹⁻¹¹ təu̯³/


陰陽先生

/in⁵⁵ iaŋ²¹ ɕiɛn⁵⁵ sən⁵⁵/

/in⁵⁵ iaŋ²¹ ɕiɛn⁵⁵ sən⁵⁵/

(dialectal Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin, Hangzhounese) fengshui master; geomancer


雞冠子花兒

җигуанзыхуар

/t͡ɕi²⁴ kuæ̃²⁴ t͡sz̩²⁴ xua²⁴/

/t͡ɕi²⁴ kuæ̃²⁴ t͡sz̩²⁴ xua²⁴/

Celosia argentea var. cristata#Translingual

Celosia cristata
Celosia cristata#Translingual

(dialectal Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin) cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata, syn. Celosia cristata)


瓶蓋子

/pʰĩ²⁴ kɛ⁴⁴ t͡sz̩/

/pʰĩ²⁴ kɛ⁴⁴ t͡sz̩/

(dialectal Mandarin, Pingxiang Gan, Xinzhou Jin) bottle cap

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)


姪兒媳婦兒

侄儿媳妇儿
侄兒媳婦兒
姪儿媳妇儿

/ʈ͡ʂər²⁴ ɕi²¹ fuər/

/ʈ͡ʂər²⁴ ɕi²¹ fuər/

(Xi'an Mandarin, Xinzhou Jin) nephew's wife (brother's son's wife)


椅子靠背

/i⁴¹ t͡sz̩³ kʰɒu̯⁴⁵ pe̞i̯⁴⁵/

/i⁴¹ t͡sz̩³ kʰɒu̯⁴⁵ pe̞i̯⁴⁵/

(Xinzhou Jin, Changsha Xiang) back of a chair; backrest


果子樹

/ko³¹ t͡sɨ³¹ su⁵⁵/

/kui³³⁻²¹ ^((t͡s-))ʒi³³⁻⁵⁵ ^((t͡sʰ-))ʒiɛu²¹³/

/ke⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰiu²²/

/ke⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰiu³³/

/kue⁵³⁻⁵⁵ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ t͡sʰiu³³/

/ko³¹ t͡sɨ³¹ su⁵⁵/

/ke⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰiu²²/

/ke⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰiu³³/

/kue⁵³⁻⁵⁵ t͡si⁵³⁻⁵⁵ t͡sʰiu³³/

(Hakka, Xinzhou Jin, Eastern Min, Hokkien) fruit tree