史

See also: 吏 and 更

史 U+53F2, 史 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-53F2 ← 叱 [U+53F1] CJK Unified Ideographs 右 → [U+53F3]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

史 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 中大 (LK), four-corner 5000₆, composition ⿻口乂)

Derived characters

• 㳏, 鉂, 駛(驶), 吏

Additional Derived Characters

• 𫢓, 𫩢, 𡶈, 𰓐, 𭨮, 𣐳, 𰛘, 𤤭, 𰁈, 𥑏, 𰨠, 𰑗, 𧊍, 𬏅, 𧲬, 𰶽, 𮍸, 𰥶, 𩰡, 𭨡, 𫙓, 𰝓, 𦘤, 𪗧
• 𣭂, 𭣥, 𪡖, 𪀎, 𭆾, 𪠷, 𫪊, 𭉅, 𩂝, 𣬐, 𬀈
• 𢺲, 𤈆, 𢈗

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 173, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3249
• Dae Jaweon: page 384, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 571, character 2
• Unihan data for U+53F2

Chinese

simp. and trad.		史
alternative forms		㕜

Glyph origin

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

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

	Old Chinese
吏	*rɯs
倳	*ʔsrɯs
剚	*ʔsrɯs
事	*ʔsrɯs, *zrɯs
史	*srɯʔ
使	*srɯʔ, *srɯs
駛	*srɯʔ, *srɯs

Pictogram (象形) – 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “hand”) holding a stylized flag almost identical to 中 (OC *tuŋ, *tuŋs) perhaps to indicate a representative or ambassador (see its variant 吏 used in 使 to mean "ambassador"). As an alternative, it holds either a pen or a hunting weapon resembling similar to 中. Hence, the inner component 中 is partly unclear.

The whole character originally indicates the act of taking notes; today, it means "history". Compare 事.

Etymology

"to send, to employ, to cause"

Causative derivation of 理 (OC rəʔ) "envoy (Zuo)" , "jail-official" (Guanzi), "marriage go-between", which is perhaps the same word as 理 (OC rəʔ) "to administer" (Schuessler 2007); the sense "scribe, historian" is derived from this.

"scribe, historian"

Possibly from Austroasiatic; Schuessler (2007) compared 理 (OC *rɯʔ), 吏 (OC *rɯs, “official”), 史 (OC *srɯʔ, “scribe, historian”), and 使 (OC *srɯʔ, *srɯs, “ambassador”) to Old Khmer re (“to move, change position”) & its derivatives Old Khmer pre (“to send, order, assign, appoint, delegate, use, employ, make”), in turn related to paṃre (“to serve; service, duty; servant, delegate, representative, minister”); with Sino-Tibetan causative *s- corresponding to Khmer causative *p-.

Alternatively, Unger (1990) and Starostin & Peiros (1996) derived 史 (OC *srɯʔ) "scribe, secretary" from 理 (OC *rɯʔ) "to mark, to draw lines", which, while cognate with Tibetan འབྲི ('bri, “to write, to draw”), apparently never meant "to write, to record".

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): shǐ (shi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˇ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): сы (sɨ, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): si²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhu²

• Gan (Wiktionary): si³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): sṳ́

  (Meixian, Guangdong): si³

• Jin (Wiktionary): si²
• Northern Min (KCR): sǔ
• Eastern Min (BUC): sṳ̄
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): so³
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): sú / sír / sí / sái

  (Teochew, Peng'im): se² / su²

• 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/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: сы (sɨ, III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: si²
    • Yale: sí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lhu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬu⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: si³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ́
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: si³
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: si³
    • Sinological IPA: /sz̩³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: si²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /sz̩⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /su²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: sṳ̄
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sy³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: so³
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: seô
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬo⁴⁵³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: so³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬo³³²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sú
    • Tâi-lô: sú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: suo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /su⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /su⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sír
    • Tâi-lô: sír
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sí
    • Tâi-lô: sí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sie
    • IPA (Philippines): /si⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sái
    • Tâi-lô: sái
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sae
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /sai⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sai⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sai⁴¹/

Note:

• sír/sú/sí - literary;
• sái - vernacular.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: se² / su²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sṳ́ / sú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɯ⁵²/, /su⁵²/
Note: su2 - Chaoyang, Puning, Huilai.
• 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: sriX

Rime
Character	史
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	生 (21)
Final (韻)	之 (19)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	踈士切
Baxter	sriX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʃɨX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʃɨX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʃieX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʂɨX/
Li Rong	/ʃiəX/
Wang Li	/ʃĭəX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʂiX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*s-rəʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*srɯʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	史
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shǐ
Middle Chinese	‹ sriX ›
Old Chinese	/*s-rəʔ/
English	scribe
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	史
Reading #	1/1
No.	11487
Phonetic component	史
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	史
Old Chinese	/*srɯʔ/

Definitions

史

1. history

   歐洲史／欧洲史  ―  Ōuzhōu shǐ  ―  European history

   近代史  ―  jìndàishǐ  ―  modern history

   史無前例／史无前例  ―  shǐwúqiánlì  ―  unprecedented (literally, “no precedent in history”)

2. (historical) court historian; scribe

   • 動則左史書之，言則右史書之。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     动则左史书之，言则右史书之。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Dòng zé zuǒshǐ shū zhī, yán zé yòushǐ shū zhī. [Pinyin]

     His actions were written down by the recorder of the Left, and his utterances by the recorder of the Right.

   • 董狐，古之良史也，書法不隱。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     董狐，古之良史也，书法不隐。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Dǒng Hú, gǔ zhī liángshǐ yě, shūfǎ bù yǐn. [Pinyin]

     Dong Hu was a good historiographer of old time:—his rule for writing was not to conceal.

3. historical record; book recording history

   正史  ―  zhèngshǐ  ―  official historical records

   《二十四史》  ―  “èrshísìshǐ”  ―  Twenty-Four Histories

4. a surname

   史可法  ―  Shǐ Kěfǎ  ―  Shi Kefa

Compounds

• 三史
• 二十五史
• 二十六史
• 二十四史 (Èrshísì Shǐ)
• 五代史
• 令史 (lìngshǐ)
• 仿連史紙 / 仿连史纸
• 佞史
• 信史 (xìnshǐ)
• 修史 (xiūshǐ)
• 儒林外史 (Rúlín Wàishǐ)
• 元史
• 元祕史 / 元秘史
• 內史 / 内史 (nèishǐ)
• 六經皆史 / 六经皆史
• 別史 / 别史 (biéshǐ)
• 刺史 (cìshǐ)
• 刺史天
• 北史 (Běishǐ)
• 南史
• 南史氏
• 口述歷史 / 口述历史 (kǒushù lìshǐ)
• 史不絕書 / 史不绝书
• 史乘
• 史冊 / 史册 (shǐcè)
• 史前史 (shǐqiánshǐ)
• 史前時代 / 史前时代 (shǐqián shídài)
• 右史
• 古史 (gǔshǐ)
• 史可法
• 史奴比 (Shǐnúbǐ)
• 史學 / 史学 (shǐxué)
• 史官 (shǐguān)
• 史家 (shǐjiā)
• 史密斯 (Shǐmìsī)
• 史實 / 史实 (shǐshí)
• 史思明
• 史懷哲 / 史怀哲
• 史撥尼克 / 史拨尼克 (si2 but6 nei4 hak1)
• 史文赫丁
• 史料 (shǐliào)
• 史晨碑
• 史書 / 史书 (shǐshū)
• 史游
• 史無前例 / 史无前例 (shǐwúqiánlì)
• 史特勞斯 / 史特劳斯
• 史瓦濟蘭 / 史瓦济兰 (Shǐwǎjìlán)
• 史祠 (Shǐcí)
• 史筆 / 史笔 (shǐbǐ)
• 史籀
• 史籀篇
• 史籍 (shǐjí)
• 史萊姆 / 史莱姆 (shǐláimǔ)
• 史蒂芬生
• 史記 / 史记 (Shǐjì)
• 史評 / 史评
• 史詩 / 史诗 (shǐshī)
• 史賓塞 / 史宾塞
• 史跡 / 史迹 (shǐjì)
• 史迪威 (Shǐdíwēi)
• 史通
• 史達林 / 史达林 (Shǐdálín)
• 史遷 / 史迁
• 史部
• 史鈔 / 史钞
• 史鑑 / 史鉴
• 史館 / 史馆
• 史魚 / 史鱼
• 史鰌 / 史鳅
• 名垂青史 (míngchuíqīngshǐ)
• 名標青史 / 名标青史
• 唯物史觀 / 唯物史观 (wéiwù shǐguān)
• 四史
• 國別史 / 国别史 (guóbiéshǐ)
• 國史 / 国史 (guóshǐ)
• 國史館 / 国史馆
• 地球史
• 外史 (wàishǐ)
• 大掾史
• 大柱史
• 太史 (tàishǐ)
• 太史令 (tàishǐ lìng)
• 太史公 (Tàishǐgōng)
• 女史 (nǚshǐ)
• 安史之亂 / 安史之乱 (Ān Shǐ Zhī Luàn)
• 宋史
• 將兵長史 / 将兵长史
• 小史
• 左史
• 左圖右史 / 左图右史 (zuǒtúyòushǐ)
• 廌史
• 御史 (yùshǐ)
• 御史大夫 (yùshǐ dàfū)
• 御史臺 / 御史台
• 御史雨
• 思想史 (sīxiǎngshǐ)
• 戰史 / 战史 (zhànshǐ)
• 才如史遷 / 才如史迁
• 政治史
• 教育史
• 文史 (wénshǐ)
• 文學史 / 文学史 (wénxuéshǐ)
• 新五代史
• 新元史
• 斷代史 / 断代史 (duàndàishǐ)
• 書史 / 书史
• 有史以來 / 有史以来 (yǒushǐyǐlái)
• 朝經暮史 / 朝经暮史
• 枕經藉史 / 枕经借史
• 柱下史
• 樂史 / 乐史
• 正史 (zhèngshǐ)
• 歷史 / 历史 (lìshǐ)
• 歷史劇 / 历史剧
• 歷史名詞 / 历史名词
• 歷史學 / 历史学 (lìshǐxué)
• 歷史小說 / 历史小说 (lìshǐ xiǎoshuō)
• 歷史年表 / 历史年表
• 歷史文學 / 历史文学
• 歷史時代 / 历史时代
• 歷史線圖 / 历史线图 (lìshǐ xiàn tú)
• 歷史觀 / 历史观 (lìshǐguān)
• 歷史語詞 / 历史语词
• 歷史重演 / 历史重演
• 民生史觀 / 民生史观
• 津史
• 清史稿
• 漁經獵史 / 渔经猎史
• 班史
• 現代史 / 现代史
• 琴史
• 畫史 / 画史
• 病史 (bìngshǐ)
• 監察御史 / 监察御史
• 眉史
• 瞽史 (gǔshǐ)
• 石刻史料
• 研經鑄史 / 研经铸史
• 硯史 / 砚史
• 祕史 / 秘史 (mìshǐ)
• 祝史
• 私史
• 稗史
• 稗官野史 (bàiguānyěshǐ)
• 穢史 / 秽史
• 經史子集 / 经史子集 (jīngshǐzǐjí)
• 經史笥 / 经史笥
• 經濟史觀 / 经济史观
• 編年史 / 编年史 (biānniánshǐ)
• 繡衣御史 / 绣衣御史
• 繹史 / 绎史
• 羅曼史 / 罗曼史 (luómànshǐ)
• 美術史 / 美术史 (měishùshǐ)
• 腐史
• 舊五代史 / 旧五代史
• 良史 (liángshǐ)
• 花史
• 荷馬史詩 / 荷马史诗
• 蕭史 / 萧史
• 藏室史
• 蘭臺令史 / 兰台令史
• 西洋史
• 詠史詩 / 咏史诗
• 詩史 / 诗史 (shīshǐ)
• 講史 / 讲史
• 豔史 / 艳史
• 路史
• 近世史
• 通史 (tōngshǐ)
• 連史紙 / 连史纸
• 野史 (yěshǐ)
• 金史
• 鐵面御史 / 铁面御史
• 長史 / 长史 (zhǎngshǐ)
• 開化史 / 开化史
• 雜史 / 杂史
• 青史 (qīngshǐ)
• 青史傳名 / 青史传名 (qīngshǐchuánmíng)
• 青史名留
• 青史流芳
• 青史留名
• 韻史 / 韵史
• 麟史 (Línshǐ)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
史
Grade: 5

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 史

史

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. record, recording
2. history

Readings

• Go-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• On: じ (ji)
• Kun: ふひと (fuhito, 史)、ふびと (fubito, 史)、ふみ (fumi, 史)、さかん (sakan)
• Nanori: ひろし (hiroshi)

Pronunciation

Kanji in this term
史
ひろし Grade: 5
nanori

• (Tokyo) ひろし [híꜜròshì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [çiɾo̞ɕi]

Proper noun

史(ひろし) • (Hiroshi) 

1. a male given name

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 史 (MC sriX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᄉᆞᆼ〯 (Yale: sǒ)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527	ᄉᆞ〯긧〮 (Yale: sǒkúy-s)	ᄉᆞ〯 (Yale: sǒ)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰa̠(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [사(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

史

史 (eumhun 사기(史記) 사 (sagi sa))

1. hanja form^? of 사 (“history”) [noun, suffix]

Compounds

• 국사 (國史, guksa)
• 사상 (史上, sasang)
• 사적 (史的, sajeok)
• 사적 (史跡, sajeok)
• 사학 (史學, sahak)
• 역사 (歷史, yeoksa)

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

史: Hán Nôm readings: sử

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