窈窕

Chinese

		deep; quiet and elegant	quiet and elegant
trad. (窈窕)		窈	窕
simp. #(窈窕)		窈	窕
alternative forms		杳窱／杳𰩏 窈糾／窈纠 “deep” 窈窱／窈𰩏 䆗窱／䆗𰩏

Etymology

First syllable 窈 (OC *qiːwʔ, “deep, dim”) is probably cognate to 幽 (OC *qɯw, “dark”); second syllable 窕 (OC *l'eːwʔ, “to bore, to perforate”) is probably related to 竅 (OC *kʰleːwɢs, “hole”) (Schuessler, 2007)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǎotiǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄠˇ ㄊㄧㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): miu⁵ tiu⁵ / jiu² tiu⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): iáu-thiáu

  (Teochew, Peng'im): iou² tiou²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǎotiǎo [Phonetic: yáotiǎo]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄠˇ ㄊㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǎotiǎo
    • Wade–Giles: yao³-tʻiao³
    • Yale: yǎu-tyǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeauteau
    • Palladius: яотяо (jaotjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: miu⁵ tiu⁵ / jiu² tiu⁵
    • Yale: míuh tíuh / yíu tíuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: miu⁵ tiu⁵ / jiu² tiu⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: miu⁵ tiu⁵ / yiu² tiu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miːu̯¹³ tʰiːu̯¹³/, /jiːu̯³⁵ tʰiːu̯¹³/

Note:

• miu5 tiu5 - vernacular;
• jiu2 tiu5 - literary.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iáu-thiáu
    • Tâi-lô: iáu-thiáu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iaw'tiao
    • IPA (Xiamen): /iau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tʰiau⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /iau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ tʰiau⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /iau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tʰiau⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /iau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tʰiau⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /iau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ tʰiau⁴¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: iou² tiou²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ióu thióu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iou⁵²⁻³⁵ tʰiou⁵²⁻²¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'ewX dewX

Rime
Character	窈	窕
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	蕭 (93)	蕭 (93)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	IV
Fanqie	烏皎切	徒了切
Baxter	'ewX	dewX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔeuX/	/deuX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔeuX/	/deuX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔeuX/	/deuX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔɛwX/	/dɛwX/
Li Rong	/ʔeuX/	/deuX/
Wang Li	/ieuX/	/dieuX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔieuX/	/dʱieuX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yǎo	diào
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jiu2	diu6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔˤ[e]wʔ  lˤ[e]wʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qiːwʔ  l'eːwʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	窈	窕
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yǎo	tiǎo
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔewX ›	‹ dewX ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔˁ[e]wʔ/	/*lˁ[e]wʔ/
English	ʔewX-dewX hidden; deep	窈窕 beautiful
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	窈	窕
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	15634	16893
Phonetic component	幼	兆
Rime group	幽	宵
Rime subdivision	2	2
Corresponding MC rime		窕
Old Chinese	/*qiːwʔ/	/*l'eːwʔ/

Adjective

窈窕

1. (literary, of a woman) quiet and elegant; graceful and fair; gentle and beautiful

   • 窈窕淑女，君子好逑。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Yǎotiǎo shūnǚ, jūnzǐ hǎoqiú. [Pinyin]

     The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
     For our prince a good mate she.

2. (literary, of a woman) seductive; flirtatious
3. (literary) deep; secluded; profound

   • 或命巾車，或棹孤舟。既窈窕以尋壑，亦崎嶇而經丘。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     或命巾车，或棹孤舟。既窈窕以寻壑，亦崎岖而经丘。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tao Yuanming, 《歸去來辭》 "Verses on Returning"

     Huò mìng jīnchē, huò zhào gūzhōu. Jì yǎotiǎo yǐ xún hè, yì qíqū ér jīng qiū. [Pinyin]

     I either called covered wagons, or rowed lonely boats; already following gullies deep, then crossing hills rough.

Derived terms

• 窈窕淑女 (yǎotiǎoshūnǚ)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (窈窕):

• → Japanese: 窈窕(ようちょう) (yōchō)
• → Korean: 요조(窈窕) (yojo)
• → Vietnamese: yểu điệu (窈窕)