十字

Chinese

ten
letter; symbol; character
letter; symbol; character; word
 
simp. and trad.
(十字)

Etymology

From a cross's graphical resemblance to the character (shí, “ten”). Already used by the Liang dynasty for the "cross-shaped" sense.

Christian cross
Attested as early as 781 CE on the Xi'an Stele.
十字四方 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
十字四方 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: 大秦景教流行中國碑頌
Pàn shízì yǐ 㝎 sìfāng, 皷 yuán fēng ér shēng èr qì. [Pinyin]
He appointed the cross as the means for determining the four cardinal points, he moved the original spirit, and produced the two principles of nature.

Pronunciation


Noun

十字

  1. cross; crucifix
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see (shí),‎ ().

Derived terms

Adjective

十字

  1. (attributive) cross-shaped

Derived terms

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (十字):
  • Japanese: (じゅう)() (jūji)
  • Korean: 십자(十字) (sipja)
  • Vietnamese: thập tự (十字)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
じゅう
Grade: 1

Grade: 1
on'yomi

Etymology

From Middle Chinese compound 十字 (MC dzyip dziH)

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) じゅうじ [júꜜùjì] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • (Tokyo) じゅうじ [jùújí] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA(key): [d͡ʑɨːʑi]

Noun

(じゅう)() • (jūjiじふじ (zifuzi)?

  1. ten characters
  2. cross (shape)
    Synonym: 十文字 (jūmonji)
    • 1903, 泉鏡花, 二世の契[1], 青空文庫:
      (ただ)()のこはれ/″\の停車場(ステエシヨン)のあとへ()(とき)雨露(あめつゆ)(さら)された十字(じふじ)里程標(りていへう)が、枯草(かれくさ)(なか)に、(よこ)になつて()るのを()て、(なん)となく荒野(あれの)(なか)磔柱(はりつけばしら)ででもあるやうに(おも)つた。
      Tada, ano kowaregoware no sutēshon no ato e kita toki, ametsuyu ni sarasareta jūji no riteihyō ga, karekusa no naka ni, yoko ni natte iru no o mite, nan to naku areno no naka no haritsukebashira de de mo aru yō ni omotta.
      But when I came to the ruins of that dilapidated station, I saw a weather-beaten, cross-shaped milepost lying on its side on withered grass, and somehow it seemed like a crucifixion cross in the wilderness.
  3. (Christianity) sign of the cross
    十字(じゅうじ)()
    jūji o kiru
    to cross oneself
  4. short for 十字架 (jūjika)

Derived terms

Korean

Hanja in this term

Noun

十字 • (sipja) (hangeul 십자)

  1. hanja form? of 십자 (cross)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term

Noun

十字

  1. chữ Hán form of thập tự (cross)