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Definition 2024


雌黄

雌黄

See also: 雌黃

Chinese

For pronunciation and definitions of – see 雌黃.
(This term, 雌黄, is the simplified form of 雌黃.)
Notes:

Japanese

Etymology 1

雌黄 (shiō, kini): a sample of the mineral orpiment.
Kanji in this term

Grade: S
おう
Grade: 2
on'yomi

/siːwau//ɕiːwɔː//ɕiːoː/

From Middle Chinese compound 雌黄 (tsiɛ hwang, literally female + yellow), indicating the mineral orpiment, in contrast to 雄黃 (hjuwng hwang, literally male + yellow), indicating the mineral realgar.

Cognate and homophone of 雄黄 (kini, realgar). Only differentiated by spelling.

Pronunciation

Noun

雌黄 (hiragana しおう, romaji shiō, historical hiragana しわう)

  1. orpiment, an arsenic sulfide mineral
Usage notes

This is the most common reading for this kanji compound.

Synonyms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
Grade: S Grade: 2
Irregular

From Old Japanese. Compound of (ki, yellow) + (ni, earth, reddish earth). The kanji are ateji, borrowed from the Chinese term.

Pronunciation

  • (Irregular reading)
  • IPA(key): [kʲĩni]

Noun

雌黄 (hiragana きに, romaji kini)

  1. (rare, possibly obsolete) orpiment, an arsenic sulfide mineral
Synonyms
  • 石黄 (せきおう) (sekiō) (more common)
Related terms

References

  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9