仏

See also: 佛

仏	U+4ECF, 仏 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4ECF

← 从
[U+4ECE]

CJK Unified Ideographs

仐 →
[U+4ED0]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

仏 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 人戈 (OI) or 難人戈 (XOI), four-corner 2223₀, composition ⿰亻厶)

Derived characters

𮡫

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 92, character 5
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 364
Dae Jaweon: page 195, character 3
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 110, character 5
Unihan data for U+4ECF

Chinese

Glyph origin

Used since Northern and Southern dynasties. To avoid using the character 佛, 某 (mǒu, “someone”) is used instead; the character is ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 亻 + 厶, where 厶 is a variant form of 某.

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of 仏 – see 佛 (“Buddha; The Enlightened One; statue of Buddha; etc.”). (This character is an ancient form of 佛).

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 仏 – see 似 (“to be like; to be similar to; to resemble; etc.”). (This character is a variant form of 似).

Japanese

Shinjitai	仏
Kyūjitai	佛

Kanji

仏

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 佛)

Readings

Compounds

仏(ぶつ)陀(だ) (Butsuda), 仏(ブッ)陀(ダ) (Budda, “Buddha”)
仏掌(ツクネ)薯(イモ) (tsukuneimo)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
仏
ほとけ Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
佛 (kyūjitai)

*⟨poto₂ke₂⟩ → */pətəkəi̯/ → /ɸotoke/ → /hotoke/

From Old Japanese, most likely from Proto-Koreanic *Pwutukye, hence related to modern Korean 부처 (Bucheo), Manchu ᡶᡠᠴᡳᡥᡳ (fucihi); see the Proto-Korean entry for more.^[1]^[2] The word was presumably disseminated by the Baekje people of southwestern Korea, who first introduced Buddhism to Japan. The first two syllables are ultimately from Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddhá), via Middle Chinese 佛陀 (MC bjut da) or some similar Sinitic form. Thomas Pellard speculates that the final element is an ancient Koreanic word for "king; lord".

The more traditional explanation still given in Japanese dictionaries is that the final ke element might be the Chinese-derived suffix 気 (ke, “spirit”),^[3]^[4] but a Koreanic explanation is more plausible.

First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.^[4]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ほとけ [hòtóké] (Heiban – [0])^[3]
(Tokyo) ほとけ [hòtókéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])^[3]
IPA^(key): [ho̞to̞ke̞]

Noun

仏(ほとけ) • (hotoke)

(Buddhism) a buddha (enlightened or awakened sentient being)
(Buddhism) a statue or image of any buddha
a departed soul, deceased
(colloquial) a term that a parent calls a child expressing parental affection, equivalent to “my dear”
- c. 890, Taketori Monogatari (page 7)^[5]
  我(わが)子(こ)の佛(ほとけ)、變(へん)化(げ)の人(ひと)と申(まう)しながら、こゝら大(おほき)さまで養(やしな)ひ奉(たてまつ)る志(こころざし)疎(をろ)かならず。
  Waga ko no hotoke, henge no hito to mōshinagara, kokora ōkisama de yashinai-tatematsuru kokorozashi oroka narazu.
  My dear child, when you are talking about someone who is a manifestation [of a supernatural entity], it would not be dumb to try to bring them up in this grand fashion.
- c. 890, Taketori Monogatari (page 61)^[5]
  あが仏(ほとけ)、何(なに)事(ごと)思(おも)ひたまふぞ。
  A ga hotoke, nanigoto omoitamau zo.
  My dear, what on earth are you thinking about?
(religion) Buddhism
Synonym: 仏法 (Buppō)
(Buddhism) performing a Buddhist memorial service

Derived terms

Proper noun

仏(ほとけ) • (Hotoke)

(Buddhism) the Sakyamuni Buddha, Nepalese spiritual and philosophical teacher and founder of Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama
Synonyms: 釈迦如来 (Shaka-nyorai), 釈迦牟尼 (Shakamuni)
(Buddhism) any of the other buddhas named in Buddhist scriptures

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
仏
ぶつ Grade: 5
goon

Alternative spelling
佛 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 佛 (MC bjut), shortened from 佛陀 (MC bjut da), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ぶつ [búꜜtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])
IPA^(key): [bɯ̟t͡sɨ]

Noun

仏(ぶつ) • (butsu)

(religion) Buddhism
儒(じゅ)、仏(ぶつ)、道(どう) ― Ju,Butsu,Dō ― Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism

Derived terms

Proper noun

仏(ぶつ) • (Butsu)

Short for 仏陀 (Butsuda, Budda): Buddha

Affix

仏(ぶつ) • (butsu)

Buddha
Short for 仏教 (Bukkyō). Buddhism
Short for 仏像 (butsuzō). Buddhist image

Derived terms

仏(ぶっ)教(きょう) (Bukkyō)
仏(ぶっ)供(く) (bukku)
仏(ぶっ)心(しん) (busshin)
仏(ぶつ)像(ぞう) (butsuzō)
仏(ぶっ)典(てん) (butten)
仏(ぶっ)法(ぽう) (buppō)
活(かつ)仏(ぶつ) (katsubutsu)
金(かな)仏(ぶつ) (kanabutsu)
木(き)仏(ぶつ) (kibutsu)
成(じょう)仏(ぶつ) (jōbutsu)
石(せき)仏(ぶつ) (sekibutsu)
大(だい)仏(ぶつ) (daibutsu)
念(ねん)仏(ぶつ) (nenbutsu)
廃(はい)仏(ぶつ)毀(き)釈(しゃく), 排(はい)仏(ぶつ)棄(き)釈(しゃく) (Haibutsu Kishaku)
秘(ひ)仏(ぶつ) (hibutsu)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
仏
ふつ Grade: 5
kan'on

Alternative spelling
佛 (kyūjitai)

Short form of ateji spelling 仏蘭西 (Furansu).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ふつ [fúꜜtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[3]
IPA^(key): [ɸɯ̟t͡sɨ]

Affix

仏(ふつ) • (futsu)

Short for フランス (Furansu): France
札幌(さっぽろ)日(にち)仏(ふつ)協(きょう)会(かい) ― Sapporo Nichi-Futsu Kyōkai ― The Sapporo Japan-France Society

Derived terms

仏(ふつ)印(いん) (Futsuin)
仏(ふつ)語(ご) (futsugo)
仏(ふっ)書(しょ) (fussho)
仏(ふつ)文(ぶん) (futsubun, “French literature”)
仏(ふつ)法(ほう) (futsuhō)
仏(ふつ)領(りょう) (futsuryō)
仏(ふつ)和(わ) (Futsu-Wa)
英(えい)仏(ふつ) (Ei-Futsu)
渡(と)仏(ふつ) (tofutsu)
日(にち)仏(ふつ) (Nichi-Futsu)

References

^ Vovin, Alexander (2006) “Why Manchu and Jurchen Look So Un-Tungusic”, in Alessandra Pozzi, Juha Janhunen and Michael Weiers, editors, Tumen jalafun secen aku. Manchu Studies in Honour of Giovanni Stary, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pages 255-266
^ Pellard, Thomas (2014) “The Awakened Lord: The Name of the Buddha in East Asia”, in Journal of the American Oriental Society‎^[1], →DOI
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 “仏”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[2] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Horiuchi, Hideaki with Ken Akiyama (1997) Taketori Monogatari, Ise Monogatari, Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN

Okinawan

Shinjitai	仏
Kyūjitai	佛

Kanji

仏

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 佛)

Readings

On (unclassified): ぶち (buchi)
Kun: ふとぅき (futuki)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
仏
ふとぅき Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
佛 (kyūjitai)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Cognate with standard Japanese 仏 (hotoke).

Pronunciation

(Shuri-Naha) ふとぅき [fùtúkí] (Heiban - [0])
IPA^(key): [ɸutuki]

Noun

仏(ふとぅき) (futuki)

a buddha
a Buddhist image or statue
(by extension) a kindhearted person

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
仏
ぶち Grade: 5
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
佛 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 佛 (MC bjut).

Cognate with standard Japanese 仏 (butsu).

Pronunciation

(Shuri-Naha) ぶち [bùchí] (Heiban - [0])
IPA^(key): [but͡ɕi]

Proper noun

仏(ぶち) (Buchi)

Buddha

Derived terms

[1] Vovin, Alexander (2006) “Why Manchu and Jurchen Look So Un-Tungusic”, in Alessandra Pozzi, Juha Janhunen and Michael Weiers, editors, Tumen jalafun secen aku. Manchu Studies in Honour of Giovanni Stary, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pages 255-266

[2] Pellard, Thomas (2014) “The Awakened Lord: The Name of the Buddha in East Asia”, in Journal of the American Oriental Society‎^[1], →DOI

[DJR-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NKDHotoke-4] 4.0 ^4.1 “仏”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[2] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000

[TTM-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Horiuchi, Hideaki with Ken Akiyama (1997) Taketori Monogatari, Ise Monogatari, Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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