南

Glyph origin
This character has been explained as a of a hanging percussion instrument, originally identical to the left side of. Under this hypothesis its borrowing for the word “south” is difficult to explain.

instead proposes that it is a pictogram of the front of a house. Archaeological evidence confirms that in antiquity, at least in some regions, houses were built to face south.

Etymology 1
From (STEDT; ; ); the south is traditionally associated with the sun & light, compare.
 * If so, cognate with 🇨🇬,, 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬.

Alternatively, relates this word to Old Chinese *nɨm (revised to *nˤ[ə]m in 2014) "belly, front of the body", further "south" to 🇨🇬, as one term for one body-part often shifts its meaning to another body-part nearby.
 * If so, 南 is cognate with, , also , 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬, and thus is a semantic counterpart to , which is related to.

Definitions

 * 1) south; southern

Descendants
Others:

Etymology 1
→ * →

From.

Noun

 * 1) the south
 * 2) * c. 762, Shōsōin Man'yōgana Monjo
 * 3) a southerly, south wind
 * 1) a southerly, south wind
 * 1) a southerly, south wind

Proper noun

 * 1)  the red-light district in modern-day  Ward, Tokyo
 * 2) the name of a ward in various cities throughout Japan, especially a former ward in the city of Osaka which is now part of

Verb

 * 1)  to go south
 * 2) * 1789, Seikashū (haikai by )

Etymology 2
→

Appears in , completed in 1002.

Alteration of minami.

Noun

 * 1)  the south

Proper noun

 * 1)  the red-light district in modern-day  Ward, Tokyo

Etymology 3
→

From.

Noun

 * 1) the south
 * : beautiful silver; a type of silver coin in the
 * : beautiful silver; a type of silver coin in the

Affix

 * 1) south, southern

Etymology 4
From.

Noun

 * 1)  south wind (mahjong tile)
 * 2)  a  with a triplet or quad of south wind tiles; depending on wind round and player's seat wind, it is worth either 1 or 2
 * 1)  a  with a triplet or quad of south wind tiles; depending on wind round and player's seat wind, it is worth either 1 or 2

Etymology 5
Shift from standard 🇨🇬 minami, dropping the final vowel and keeping the nasal.



Noun

 * 1)  south

Etymology 1
From.

Etymology
Cognate to 🇨🇬 and western 🇨🇬.

Pronunciation

 * ふぇ ( - [0])

Noun

 * 1) the south
 * 2) a southerly

Noun

 * 1) the south
 * 2) * Shosoin document, text here
 * 3) a southerly
 * "ojp"
 * "ojp"
 * "ojp"

- ...南吹雪消益而射水河流水沫能余留弊奈美...

Usage notes
Also used in the  (759 ) as kana for  and  kana for.

Adjective

 * 1) south, southern

Etymology
Cognate to 🇨🇬 and western 🇨🇬.

Noun

 * 1) the south
 * 2) a southerly