大宛

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (大宛)		大	宛
simp. ^#(大宛)		大	宛

Etymology

Pulleyblank (1966, pp. 22, 27) notices that the "old" suggestion based on the name of Greeks – cf. Ancient Greek Ἴων (Íōn, “Ionian”), Sanskrit यवन (yavana) – had been unsatisfactory, an observation also acknowledged by Yu (1998, p. 68); see references therein. Possible Indo-Iranian origin and cognacy with the Ancient Greek word-forms Τόχαροι (Tókharoi) or Τάχοροι (Tákhoroi) have been suggested; see etymologies thereof.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): Dàyuān

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄚˋ ㄩㄢ
Cantonese (Jyutping): daai⁶ jyun¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Dàyuān
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄚˋ ㄩㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Dàyuan
  - Wade–Giles: Ta⁴-yüan¹
  - Yale: Dà-ywān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Dahiuan
  - Palladius: Даюань (Dajuanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tä⁵¹ ɥɛn⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: daai⁶ jyun¹
  - Yale: daaih yūn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: daai⁶ jyn¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: dai⁶ yun¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /taːi̯²² jyːn⁵⁵/

Middle Chinese: dajH 'jwon

Rime
Character	大	宛
Reading #	1/2	1/2
Initial (聲)	定 (7)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	泰 (25)	元 (66)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	徒蓋切	於袁切
Baxter	dajH	'jwon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dɑi^H/	/ʔʉɐn/
Pan Wuyun	/dɑi^H/	/ʔʷiɐn/
Shao Rongfen	/dɑi^H/	/ʔiuɐn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/daj^H/	/ʔuan/
Li Rong	/dɑi^H/	/ʔiuɐn/
Wang Li	/dɑi^H/	/ĭwɐn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/dʱɑi^H/	/ʔi̯wɐn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dài	yuān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	daai⁶	jyun¹

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*daːds qon/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	大	宛
Reading #	2/2	1/2
No.	1939	16284
Phonetic component	大	夗
Rime group	祭	元
Rime subdivision	1	3
Corresponding MC rime	大	鴛
Old Chinese	/*daːds/	/*qon/

Proper noun

大宛

(historical) Dayuan (an ancient country in Central Asia)

Noun

大宛

(literary) fine horse (from Dayuan)