愛

Glyph origin
Originally, a.

As early as the Qin dynasty, a meaningless component was added to the bottom of the character, as with some other characters depicting people. Compare (from ).

Further corruption turned the original phonetic into ⿱爫冖.

Etymology
Based on 🇨🇬 reconstruction, STEDT suggests that it is from. Compare 🇨🇬, whence 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬; 🇨🇬; 🇨🇬; 🇨🇬, ; 🇨🇬. The Chinese word is related to a Tibeto-Burman allofam without initial *ŋ-. STEDT states that an 🇨🇬 reconstruction of for 愛 is also possible because 🇨🇬 rhyming does not provide direct evidence of contacts with *-t.

However, reconstructs, which ends in *-p-s instead. The 🇨🇬 contrast between *-p-s and *-t-s was lost at a late stage of 🇨🇬. The final *-p is not reflected in the 🇨🇬 comparandum provided by STEDT, making the likelihood that the Chinese form is related to the rest very low. suggests a derivation from a verbal root meaning "to draw in; to inhale; to suck in", relating it to, , , ,.

Definitions

 * 1) to love
 * 2) to treasure; to value
 * 3) to like; to be fond of; to be keen on
 * 4) to begrudge; to be reluctant
 * 5) to be prone; to be easy to
 * 6) love; affection
 * 7) love; benevolence
 * 8) something one loves; someone whom one loves
 * 9) beloved
 * 10)  to want (an object)
 * 11)  to want (to do)
 * 12)  to need to; must
 * 1) to begrudge; to be reluctant
 * 2) to be prone; to be easy to
 * 3) love; affection
 * 4) love; benevolence
 * 5) something one loves; someone whom one loves
 * 6) beloved
 * 7)  to want (an object)
 * 8)  to want (to do)
 * 9)  to need to; must
 * 1) love; affection
 * 2) love; benevolence
 * 3) something one loves; someone whom one loves
 * 4) beloved
 * 5)  to want (an object)
 * 6)  to want (to do)
 * 7)  to need to; must
 * 1) beloved
 * 2)  to want (an object)
 * 3)  to want (to do)
 * 4)  to need to; must
 * 1)  to want (an object)
 * 2)  to want (to do)
 * 3)  to need to; must
 * 1)  to want (to do)
 * 2)  to need to; must
 * 1)  to need to; must

Usage notes

 * When used for people, 愛／爱 usually refers to romantic love. When used like this, older Mandarin speakers often describe the use of this term as overly . For this reason, the word might be used instead. Using the word  literally means like, but when used in a romantic context (especially boyfriend/girlfriend), it actually means love. Compare 🇨🇬. However, younger Mandarin speakers, especially those who have been in love for some time, seem to have been influenced somewhat by Western culture, and are now using the verb 愛／爱 much more often than was socially acceptable in the past.

Synonyms








Descendants
Others:

Etymology 1
From.

Compare modern 🇨🇬.

Noun

 * 1) love
 * 2) affection
 * 3) tenderness
 * 4) fondness, liking
 * 5)  agape
 * 1) tenderness
 * 2) fondness, liking
 * 3)  agape
 * 1)  agape
 * 1)  agape

Affix

 * 1) love
 * 2) * https://books.google.com/books?id=YZ46nNryMzAC&pg=PA2
 * 1) * https://books.google.com/books?id=YZ46nNryMzAC&pg=PA2

Etymology 2
Originally a compound of, an version of modern 🇨🇬.

The use of 愛 here is an example of.

Prefix

 * 1) before a common noun, expresses a sense of admiration or value: good, genuine; compare English
 * 2) before a noun describing a person, expresses praise or fondness: dear, beloved

Noun

 * 1)  something dear or loved

Etymology 3
Used as nanori in various names. 愛 is a very common element in many names.

Etymology
From.

Etymology
Originally a compound of 🇰🇲.

Noun

 * 1) something dear or loved