殷

See also: 慇

殷 U+6BB7, 殷 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6BB7 ← 殶 [U+6BB6] CJK Unified Ideographs 殸 → [U+6BB8]

Translingual

Han character

殷 (Kangxi radical 79, 殳+6, 10 strokes, cangjie input 竹尸竹弓水 (HSHNE), four-corner 2724₇, composition ⿰㐆殳)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 585, character 2
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16627
• Dae Jaweon: page 977, character 19
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2156, character 4
• Unihan data for U+6BB7

Chinese

simp. and trad.		殷

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 殷
Shang	Western Zhou
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions

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

	Old Chinese
殷	*qrɯːn, *qɯn
慇	*qɯn
溵	*qɯn
磤	*qɯnʔ

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): a pregnant woman (身, now written reversed as 㐆) next to a hand grabbing a hammer or mallet (now written 殳). However, in this character, the hand could be grabbing a needle for acupuncture.

The character is partly unclear, however the original meaning was either referred to pain and medical treatment and/or to "abundance, prosperity" in reference to the swollen abdomen.

Etymology

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Is 殷 (OC *qɯn) related to 鳦 (OC *qriːd, *qrid) & 燕 (OC *qeːns), both meaning "swallow"? Xie / Qi (契), the mythical ancestor of the Shang kings, was conceived after lady Jiandi (簡狄) swallowed the egg of the black bird (玄鳥) (e.g. in Shijing (詩經) - Shang Song (商頌) - Xuan Niao 玄鳥, Shiji (史書) Yin benji (殷本紀), etc. ), identified explicitly as 燕 (Lunheng 論衡, chapters 案書 Anshu & Qiguai 奇怪).”

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yīn (yin¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄣ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): jan¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): yin¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): yîn

  (Hailu, HRS): rhin^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): yin¹

• Eastern Min (BUC): ṳ̆ng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): un / in

  (Teochew, Peng'im): hng¹ / heng¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹in

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yin
    • Wade–Giles: yin¹
    • Yale: yīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: in
    • Palladius: инь (inʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /in⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jan¹
    • Yale: yān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: yin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jin³³/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yîn
    • Hakka Romanization System: in^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yin¹
    • Sinological IPA: /in²⁴/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yîn
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)in^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yin¹
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)in²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: rhin^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /ʒin⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: yin¹
    • Sinological IPA: /in⁴⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ṳ̆ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /yŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: un
    • Tâi-lô: un
    • Phofsit Daibuun: wn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /un⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /un³³/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: in
    • Tâi-lô: in
    • Phofsit Daibuun: yn
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Zhangzhou): /in⁴⁴/

Note: irn - Quanzhou.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: hng¹ / heng¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hng / hṳng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hŋ³³/, /hɯŋ³³/

Note:

• hng1 - Chaozhou;
• heng1 - Chaozhou, Shantou.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹in
    • MiniDict: in^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹in
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /in⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'j+n

Rime
Character	殷
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	欣 (57)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於斤切
Baxter	'j+n
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔɨn/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔɨn/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiən/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔɨn/
Li Rong	/ʔiən/
Wang Li	/ĭən/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ən/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yīn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jan1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔə[r]/, /*ʔər/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qɯn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	殷	殷	殷
Reading #	2/4	3/4	4/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yīn	yīn	yīn
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjɨn ›	‹ ʔjɨn ›	‹ ʔjɨn ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔə[r]/	/*ʔə[r]/	/*ʔər/
English	殷殷 distressed	ample, many	(dynastic name)
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	殷
Reading #	2/2
No.	15232
Phonetic component	殷
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	殷
Old Chinese	/*qɯn/

Definitions

殷

1. (metonymic) (～朝) Shang Dynasty after Pan Geng moved the capital of the state to its final location at Yīn (i.e., Late Shang Dynasty)
2. (by extension) (～朝) Alternative name for 商 (shāng, “Shang Dynasty”).
3. abundant; rich

   殷實／殷实  ―  yīnshí  ―  well-off

4. (literary) large; flourishing

   • 莊周曰：「此何鳥哉？翼殷不逝，目大不覩。」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     庄周曰：「此何鸟哉？翼殷不逝，目大不睹。」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Zhuāngzhōu yuē: “Cǐ hé niǎo zāi? Yì yīn bù shì, mù dà bù dǔ.” [Pinyin]

     Zhuangzi said, “What kind of bird is it? It cannot fly very far with its huge wings and cannot see clearly with its big eyes.”

5. (literary) many; numerous
6. (of emotions) deep
7. a surname

   殷海光  ―  Yīn Hǎiguāng  ―  Yin Haiguang (20th-century Chinese philosopher)

See also

Dynasties (朝代) in Chinese history
Name	Time period	Divisions
Xia 夏 (～朝, ～代)	2070 – 1600 BCE
Shang 商 (～朝, ～代) 殷 (～朝, ～代)	1600 – 1046 BCE
Zhou 周 (～朝, ～代)	1046 – 256 BCE	Western Zhou 西周
		Eastern Zhou 東周 / 东周	Spring and Autumn period 春秋
			Warring States period 戰國 / 战国
Qin 秦 (～朝, ～代)	221 – 206 BCE
Han 漢 / 汉 (～朝, ～代)	206 BCE – 220 C.E.	Western Han 西漢 / 西汉
		Xin 新 (～朝)
		Eastern Han 東漢 / 东汉
Three Kingdoms 三國 / 三国	220 – 280 C.E.	Wei 魏
		Shu Han 蜀漢 / 蜀汉
		Wu 吳 / 吴
Jin 晉 / 晋 (～朝, ～代)	265 – 420 C.E.	Western Jin 西晉 / 西晋
		Eastern Jin 東晉 / 东晋
Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝	420 – 589 C.E.	Northern dynasties 北朝	Northern Wei 北魏
			Western Wei 西魏
			Eastern Wei 東魏 / 东魏
			Northern Zhou 北周
			Northern Qi 北齊 / 北齐
		Southern dynasties 南朝	Liu Song 劉宋 / 刘宋
			Southern Qi 南齊 / 南齐
			Liang 梁 (～朝, ～代)
			Chen 陳 / 陈 (～朝, ～代)
Sui 隋 (～朝, ～代)	581 – 618 C.E.
Tang 唐 (～朝, ～代)	618 – 907 C.E.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國 / 五代十国	907 – 960 C.E.
Liao 遼 / 辽 (～朝, ～代)	907 – 1125 C.E.
Song 宋 (～朝, ～代)	960 – 1279 C.E.	Northern Song 北宋
		Southern Song 南宋
Western Xia 西夏	1038 – 1227 C.E.
Jin 金 (～朝, ～代)	1115 – 1234 C.E.
Western Liao 西遼 / 西辽	1124 – 1218 C.E.
Yuan 元 (～朝, ～代)	1271 – 1368 C.E.
Ming 明 (～朝, ～代)	1368 – 1644 C.E.
Qing 清 (～朝, ～代)	1636 – 1912 C.E.

Compounds

• 加二殷勤
• 家徒甚殷
• 桓殷危語
• 殷切 (yīnqiè)
• 殷勤 (yīnqín)
• 殷同
• 殷商 (Yīnshāng)
• 殷墟 (Yīnxū)
• 殷墟卜辭
• 殷墟書契
• 殷契
• 殷富 (yīnfù)
• 殷實 (yīnshí)
• 殷師牛鬥 / 殷师牛斗
• 殷店 (Yīndiàn)
• 殷憂 (yīnyōu)
• 殷憂啟聖 / 殷忧启圣
• 殷文存
• 殷有三仁
• 殷望
• 殷正
• 殷武
• 殷殷
• 殷殷勤勤
• 殷殷屯屯
• 殷殷田田
• 殷民阜利
• 殷民阜財
• 殷浩書空
• 殷渥
• 殷湯
• 殷畈 (Yīnfàn)
• 殷盛
• 殷盤
• 殷盼
• 殷薦
• 殷見
• 殷軫
• 殷轔
• 殷鋼
• 殷鑒 (yīnjiàn)
• 殷鑑 (yīnjiàn)
• 殷鑒不遠 / 殷鉴不远 (yīnjiànbùyuǎn)
• 殷鑑不遠 / 殷鉴不远 (yīnjiànbùyuǎn)
• 殷阜
• 殷頑
• 民殷國富
• 民殷財阜
• 獻殷勤 (xiàn yīnqín)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yān (yan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jin¹ / aan¹
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹e

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yān
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yan
    • Wade–Giles: yen¹
    • Yale: yān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ian
    • Palladius: янь (janʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jin¹ / aan¹
    • Yale: yīn / āan
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jin¹ / aan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yin¹ / an¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn⁵⁵/, /aːn⁵⁵/

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹e
    • MiniDict: e^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹e
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /e⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'ean

Rime
Character	殷
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	山 (73)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	烏閑切
Baxter	'ean
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠɛn/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔᵚæn/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔəɨn/
Li Rong	/ʔɛn/
Wang Li	/æn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔăn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	aan1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔˤrə[r]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qrɯːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	殷
Reading #	1/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yān
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔɛn ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔˁrə[r]/
English	dark-red
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	殷
Reading #	1/2
No.	15231
Phonetic component	殷
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	黰
Old Chinese	/*qrɯːn/

Definitions

殷

1. blood red; deep red

Compounds

• 殷然
• 殷紅 (yānhóng)

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǐn (yin³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄣˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jan²
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵in

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄣˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐn
    • Wade–Giles: yin³
    • Yale: yǐn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yiin
    • Palladius: инь (inʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /in²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jan²
    • Yale: yán
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jan²
    • Guangdong Romanization: yen²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵in
    • MiniDict: in^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²in
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /in³⁴/

Definitions

殷

1. sound of thunder
2. to shake; to tremble

Compounds

• 殷其靁
• 殷天動地
• 殷天震地