由

由 U+7531, 由 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7531 ← 田 [U+7530] CJK Unified Ideographs 甲 → [U+7532]

Stroke order

由 (Kangxi radical 102, 田+0, 5 strokes, cangjie input 中田 (LW), four-corner 5060₀, composition ⿻日丨 or ⿻囗十)

• 㐕 𠃦 𤰔 㕀 㽕 伷 甹 𠔍 𰃰 𫔼 㣙 㹨 妯 宙 届 岫 峀 庙 迪 廸 怞 抽 油 畁 邮 𠰬 𠱋 𡊡 𡘊 𡛽 𡱋 𢂎 𢍁 𩧨 𭘋 𭘌 峀 冑 柚 牰 胄 轴 迪 𠔔 𤤧 𤰰 𤱁 𤱉 𫆚 𬏁 㾄 䄂 秞 铀 𤱤 𤽙 𥑤 𥥉 𧙏 𬔈 䌷 笛 粙 紬 舳 苖 蚰 袖 𤉓 𤉕 𦥪 𧆭 𬱖 䛆 䜬 軸 釉 𧲹 𧻉 鈾 鲉 𢆟 𤳄 𤲣 𫔞 𢆟 䩜 頔 𩊄 𬰹 駎 𠟳 𤰋 𤳃 𪳫 𪽝 𫘼 𬏌 𮏬 鮋 𡳧 𤳐 𩿬 𬏕 鼬 𤳨 𫠘 𤳷 𤳸 𧈕 寅 黄 黃 㑹 褏

• ゆ
• ユ

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 757, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 21724
• Dae Jaweon: page 1167, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2524, character 2
• Unihan data for U+7531

simp. and trad.		由
alternative forms		繇

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lɯw) : phonetic 十 (OC *ɡjub) + semantic 口 (“mouth”) – a container with on top the pictogram of a needle (十, today 針), to indicate the ancient pronunciation. Compare the bottom part of the original version of 缶, an earthenware pot. In oracle bones, 由 was used as the original version of 怞 (yóu or, in the less conservative pronunciation, chóu). See also 俞.

Otherwise, according to Tang Lan (唐蘭), it's the pictogram of a helmet. If a helmet, may have been the same as or original character of 冑. However, this alternative interpretation is less likely.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Related to 遊?”)

由

1. cause; reason

   緣由／缘由  ―  yuányóu  ―  cause and reason

2. from

   由北到南  ―  yóu běi dào nán  ―  from north to south

   由廣州出發／由广州出发  ―  yóu Guǎngzhōu chūfā  ―  to depart from Guangzhou

3. by; through; via

   請由側門出入。／请由侧门出入。  ―  Qǐng yóu cèmén chūrù.  ―  Please enter and exit via the side door.

4. (done) by

   這件事由我來處理吧。 [MSC, trad.]
   这件事由我来处理吧。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè jiàn shì yóu wǒ lái chùlǐ ba. [Pinyin]

   Let me handle this matter.

5. because of; due to
6. by means of

   由此可見／由此可见  ―  yóucǐkějiàn  ―  thus it can be seen

   本書由三部分組成。 [MSC, trad.]
   本书由三部分组成。 [MSC, simp.]

   Běn shū yóu sān bùfēn zǔchéng. [Pinyin]

   This book is composed of three parts.

7. to pass through

   必由之路  ―  bìyóuzhīlù  ―  the path that must be taken

8. to follow; to let one determine

   身不由己  ―  shēnbùyóujǐ  ―  to be unable to determine for oneself

   由他去吧！  ―  Yóu tā qù ba!  ―  Let him do as he pleases!

   由佢自己做啦！ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

   jau^4-2 keoi⁵ zi⁶ gei² zou⁶ laa¹! [Jyutping]

   Let him do it by himself!

For pronunciation and definitions of 由 – see 甴. (This character is a variant form of 甴).

• “由”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “由”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 288.

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

1. cause, reason
2. from, arising from

• Go-on: ゆ (yu, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: ゆう (yū, Jōyō)^{←いう (iu, historical)}
• Kan’yō-on: ゆい (yui, Jōyō ^†)
• Kun: よし (yoshi, 由, Jōyō)、よる (yoru, 由る)、より (yori, 由り)、なお (nao, 由)

• 自由(じゆう) (jiyū): freedom
• 自由度(じゆうど) (jiyūdo): flexibility
• 由来(ゆらい) (yurai): origin

由 (eumhun 말미암을 유 (malmiameul yu))

1. hanja form^? of 유 (“cause; reason”)

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

• On (unclassified): ゆー (yū)

• 自(じ)由(ゆー) (jiyū)

由: Hán Nôm readings: do, dô, ro, yêu, sân

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.