眉

See also: 盾

眉	U+7709, 眉 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7709

← 眈
[U+7708]

CJK Unified Ideographs

眊 →
[U+770A]

Translingual

Han character

眉 (Kangxi radical 109, 目+4, 9 strokes, cangjie input 日竹月山 (AHBU), four-corner 7726₇, composition ⿸𠃜目)

Derived characters

𠋥, 𭃽, 𠷯, 堳, 媚, 嵋, 𢃼, 𢔰, 𢰲, 湄, 猸, 𣈲, 𣎊, 楣, 煝, 𤚤, 瑂, 睸, 𥚵, 𧛰, 𡮠, 𥻡, 𫃷(𮉭), 蝞, 𮙣, 𧳬, 𨉭, 鎇(镅), 𩋿, 𫗗, 𩹪, 𱁤
𫐹, 𪵟, 䰨, 𮟟, 郿, 𣮮, 𫵇, 𦎨, 𥊟, 𥋜, 𥌏, 𥌙, 鶥(鹛), 𭿰, 𡩏, 葿, 𭾴, 篃, 𩄎, 𬴮, 𠪃, 𮚯, 𡡻, 𣽪, 𦠙, 𡭌, 𧱸

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 803, character 1
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 23190
Dae Jaweon: page 1218, character 20
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2478, character 3
Unihan data for U+7709

Chinese

simp. and trad.		眉
2nd round simp.		𠃜
alternative forms		屓／屃𪎯𪎭𣅩

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 眉
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 (眉) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
眉	*mril
楣	*mril
嵋	*bril
湄	*mril
鶥	*mril
瑂	*mril
郿	mril, mrils
葿	*mril
媚	*mrils
篃	*mrils
蝞	*mrills
煝	*mrils

Pictogram (象形) : 𠃜 + 目 (eye), hair above an eye. The component for hair became 𠃜 during the development into the seal and clerical scripts.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/r-m(u/i/ja)l (“hair; fur; feather”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan སྨིན་མ (smin ma, “eyebrow”), Burmese အမွေး (a.mwe:, “hair; fur; feather”).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): méi (mei²)

(Zhuyin): ㄇㄟˊ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mei⁴

(Taishan, Wiktionary): mei³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): mì

(Meixian, Guangdong): mi²
Jin (Wiktionary): mi¹
Northern Min (KCR): mî
Eastern Min (BUC): mì
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): bâi / bî

(Teochew, Peng'im): bhai⁵ / mi⁵
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶mi

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: méi
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄟˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: méi
  - Wade–Giles: mei²
  - Yale: méi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mei
  - Palladius: мэй (mɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /meɪ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: mei⁴
  - Yale: mèih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mei⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: méi⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mei̯²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: mei³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐbei²²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mì
  - Hakka Romanization System: mi^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: mi²
  - Sinological IPA: /mi¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: mi²
  - Sinological IPA: /mi¹¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: mi¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /mi¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mî
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi³³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: mì
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi⁵³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bâi / bî
  - Tâi-lô: bâi / bî
  - Phofsit Daibuun: baai, bii
  - IPA (Xiamen): /bai²⁴/, /bi²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /bai²⁴/, /bi²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /bai¹³/, /bi¹³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /bai²⁴/, /bi²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /bai²³/, /bi²³/

Note:

bâi - vernacular;
bî - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: bhai⁵ / mi⁵
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bâi / mî
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /bai⁵⁵/, /mi⁵⁵/

Note:

bhai5 - vernacular;
mi5 - literary.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶mi
  - MiniDict: mi^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³mi
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /mi²³/

Middle Chinese: mij

Rime
Character	眉
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	武悲切
Baxter	mij
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mˠiɪ/
Pan Wuyun	/mᵚi/
Shao Rongfen	/miɪ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mji/
Li Rong	/mji/
Wang Li	/mi/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mi/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mí
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mei⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*mr[ə][r]/

(Zhengzhang): /*mril/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	眉
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	méi
Middle Chinese	‹ mij ›
Old Chinese	/*mr[ə][r]/
English	eyebrow
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	眉
Reading #	1/1
No.	8938
Phonetic component	眉
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	眉
Old Chinese	/*mril/

Definitions

眉

eyebrow (Classifier: 條／条 c; 堂 c)
- 千萬愁鎖著雙眉 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
  千万愁锁着双眉 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]
  From: 2020, 陳百潭 (lyrics and music), 霧中情, performed by 陳百潭 and 方千玉
  chhian-bān chhiû só-tio̍h siang-bî [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
  Millions of sorrows lock my pair of brows
(by extension) upper margin of a book, leaflet, or page; header
Antonym: 腳／脚

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 眉毛 (“eyebrow”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		眉
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		眉毛
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	眉毛, 眼眉
	Taiwan	眉毛
	Harbin	眉毛, 眼眉
	Malaysia	眉毛
	Singapore	眉毛
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	眼眉
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	眉, 眉毛, 眼眉
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	眼眉
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	眉毛
	Wanrong	眉
	Wanrong (Ronghe)	眉
	Xi'an	眉毛, 眉, 眼眉
	Xining	眉毛
	Xuzhou	眉毛
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	眉毛
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	眉毛
	Lanzhou	眉毛
	Ürümqi	眉毛
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	眉毛
	Wuhan	眉毛
	Guiyang	眉毛
	Guilin	眉毛
	Liuzhou	眼眉毛, 眉毛
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	眉毛
	Yangzhou	眉毛
	Hefei	眉毛
Cantonese	Guangzhou	眼眉, 眼眉毛
	Hong Kong	眼眉, 眼眉毛, 眉
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	眼眉毛
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	眉毛
	Macau	眉毛
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	眼眉
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	眼眉
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	眼眉毛
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	眼眉毛
	Foshan	眼眉
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	眼眉
	Foshan (Shunde)	眼眉
	Foshan (Sanshui)	眼眉毛
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	眼眉毛
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	眼眉
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	眼眉
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	眼眉
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	眼眉
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	眼眉
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	眼眉
	Taishan	眉毛
	Kaiping (Chikan)	眼眉
	Enping (Niujiang)	眼眉
	Heshan (Yayao)	眼眉
	Dongguan	眼眉, 眼眉毛
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	眼眉
	Yangjiang	眼眉
	Xinyi	眼眉
	Nanning	眼眉毛
	Wuzhou	眼眉毛
	Yulin	眉毛, 眼眉毛
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	眼眉毛
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	眼眉
Gan	Nanchang	眉毛
	Lichuan	眉毛
	Pingxiang	眉毛
Hakka	Meixian	目眉毛
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	眼眉毛
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	眼毛
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	眼眉毛
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	眼眉毛
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	眉毛
	Changting	目眉毛, 眉毛
	Wuping	目眉毛
	Ninghua	眼眉
	Yudu	眉毛, 眉毛牯
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	目眉毛
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	目眉毛
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	目眉毛
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	目眉毛
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	目眉毛
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	目眉
	Hong Kong	眼眉毛
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	眉毛
	Sabah (Longchuan)	目眉毛
	Senai (Huiyang)	眼眉
	Singkawang	目眉毛
Huizhou	Jixi	眉毛
Jin	Taiyuan	眉毛
Jin	Xinzhou	眉毛
Northern Min	Jian'ou	眉毛
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	眉毛
	Fuqing	眉毛
	Matsu	眉毛
Southern Min	Xiamen	目眉, 目眉毛, 目睭毛
	Quanzhou	目眉, 目眉毛
	Jinjiang	目眉, 目眉毛
	Yongchun	目眉
	Zhangzhou	目眉, 目眉毛, 目毛, 目睭毛 with eyelash
	Taipei	目眉
	Kaohsiung	目眉
	Yilan	目眉
	Changhua (Lukang)	目眉
	Taichung	目眉
	Taichung (Wuqi)	目眉
	Tainan	目眉
	Taitung	目眉
	Hsinchu	目眉
	Penghu (Magong)	目眉
	Penang (Hokkien)	目眉
	Singapore (Hokkien)	目眉, 目眉毛
	Manila (Hokkien)	目眉
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	眉毛
	Chaozhou	目眉
	Shantou	目眉
	Shantou (Chenghai)	目眉
	Jieyang	目眉
	Haifeng	眉
	Ho Chi Minh City (Teochew)	目眉
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	目眉
	Singapore (Teochew)	目眉
	Leizhou	目眉
	Wenchang	眉
	Haikou	目眉, 眉毛
Puxian Min	Putian	目眉毛
Puxian Min	Xianyou	目眉毛
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	眉毛
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	眼眉, 眼眉毛, 眉毛
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	眉毛
Wu	Shanghai	眉毛
	Shanghai (Chongming)	眉毛
	Suzhou	眉毛
	Danyang	眉毛
	Hangzhou	眉毛
	Ningbo	眼眉毛
	Wenzhou	眼黧毛
	Jinhua	眉毛
Xiang	Changsha	眉毛
	Loudi	眼眉毛, 眉毛
	Shuangfeng	眉毛
	Quanzhou	眉毛

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

眉

(Jōyō kanji)

eyebrow

Readings

Go-on: み (mi, Jōyō ^†)
Kan-on: び (bi, Jōyō)
Kun: まゆ (mayu, 眉, Jōyō)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
眉
まゆ Grade: S
kun'yomi

/majo/ → /maju/

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshū poetry anthology of the mid-700s with the reading mayo.^[1] The ma element is very likely 目 (ma, “eye”, ancient combining form of modern me reading), but the derivation of the yo element is unclear.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) まゆ [máꜜyù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
IPA^(key): [ma̠jɯ̟]

Noun

眉(まゆ) • (mayu)

eyebrow

Derived terms

眉毛(まゆげ) (mayuge): eyebrow (more explicitly refers to the hair of the eyebrow)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
眉
び Grade: S
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 眉 (MC mij).

Affix

眉(び) • (bi)

eyebrow

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
眉
み Grade: S
goon

From Middle Chinese 眉 (MC mij).

Affix

眉(み) • (mi)

eyebrow

References

^ “眉”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006}
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 眉 (MC mij). Recorded as Middle Korean 미 (mi) (Yale: mi) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

眉

Wikisource

眉 (eumhun 눈썹 미 (nunsseop mi))

hanja form^? of 미 (“eyebrow”)

Compounds

미간 (眉間, migan)
수미 (鬚眉, sumi)
미목 (眉目, mimok)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

眉: Hán Nôm readings: mi, mày, mầy, mì, my

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

References

Nom Foundation
Lê Sơn Thanh, "Nom-Viet.dat", WinVNKey (details)

[1] “眉”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006}

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]