南冥

Chinese

		south	dark; deep
simp. and trad. (南冥)		南	冥
alternative forms		南溟

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nánmíng

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄢˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nánmíng
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄢˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: nánmíng
    • Wade–Giles: nan²-ming²
    • Yale: nán-míng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nanming
    • Palladius: наньмин (nanʹmin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nän³⁵ miŋ³⁵/

Noun

南冥

1. an ocean to the south of China

   • 諧之言曰：「鵬之徙於南冥也，水擊三千里，摶扶搖而上者九萬里，去以六月息者也。」野馬也，塵埃也，生物之以息相吹也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     谐之言曰：「鹏之徙于南冥也，水击三千里，抟扶摇而上者九万里，去以六月息者也。」野马也，尘埃也，生物之以息相吹也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Xié zhī yán yuē: “Péng zhī xǐ yú nánmíng yě, shuǐ jī sānqiān lǐ, tuán fú yáo ér shàng zhě jiǔwàn lǐ, qù yǐ liùyuè xī zhě yě.” Yěmǎ yě, chén'āi yě, shēngwù zhī yǐ xī xiāng chuī yě. [Pinyin]

     We have in it these words: 'When the peng is removing to the Southern Ocean it flaps (its wings) on the water for 3000 li. Then it ascends on a whirlwind 90,000 li, and it rests only at the end of six months.' (But similar to this is the movement of the breezes which we call) the horses of the fields, of the dust (which quivers in the sunbeams), and of living things as they are blown against one another by the air.'