魏
high, large, Kingdom of Wei
Readings
On'yomi
- ギ
Kun'yomi
- たか.い
Meaning
魏 centers on imposing scale and stature: something physically high or large, and by extension the name of the ancient Kingdom of Wei, which carried a sense of grandeur.
Most common words using 魏
- 魏ぎ
Wei (kingdom in China during the Three Kingdoms period; 220-266 CE); Cao Wei
- 阿魏あぎ
asafetida (Ferula assafoetida)
- 北魏ほくぎ
Northern Wei dynasty (of China; 386-535)
- 曹魏そうぎ
Cao Wei (kingdom in China during the Three Kingdoms period; 220-266); Wei
- 東魏とうぎ
Eastern Wei dynasty (of China; 534-550)
- 西魏せいぎ
Western Wei dynasty (of China; 535-557)
- 魏志ぎし
the history of Wei
- 魏志倭人伝ぎしわじんでん
Wajinden (passages in Records of the Three Kingdoms describing the Wa people)
- 魏晋南北朝時代ぎしんなんぼくちょうじだい
Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties period (China, 220-589 CE)
Study
Etymology
魏 combines 委 (entrust, detailed) with 鬼 (ghost, spirit). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it is often analyzed as a phono-semantic compound where 委 contributes the sound and 鬼 adds a sense of imposing or awe-inspiring presence, fitting the meanings of high, large, and the kingdom name.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 委 suggests something entrusted or weighty, and the right side 鬼 is a towering, fearsome spirit. Together they create an image of something high and large, like a mighty kingdom.
Reading mnemonic
For ギ, imagine a giant ghost (鬼) wearing a name tag that says 'Ghee' (like clarified butter). The giant 'Ghee' ghost looms high and large, and its name sounds exactly like ギ.