心有靈犀一點通

Chinese

		heart; mind	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	rhinoceros horn; sympathetic response; mutual sensitivity rhinoceros horn; sympathetic response; mutual sensitivity; meeting of minds	one touch	go through; know well; to connect go through; know well; to connect; to communicate; open
trad. (心有靈犀一點通)		心	有	靈犀	一點	通
simp. (心有灵犀一点通)		心	有	灵犀	一点	通

Etymology

From one of Li Shangyin's “Untitled” (《無題》) poems:

身無彩鳳雙飛翼，心有靈犀一點通。 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]
身无彩凤双飞翼，心有灵犀一点通。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Tang dynasty, Li Shangyin, “Untitled” (《無題》)
Translation from: C. K. Ho (何中堅) (2015), Tang Poems in original Rhyme: An Innovative Translation (《原韻英譯唐詩精選》)

Shēn wú cǎifèng shuāngfēi yì, xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng. [Pinyin]

Phoenix's wings we lacked,
　to fly as a pair,
But linked were our hearts
　by the rhino horn's magical might.

The rhinoceros' horn is reputed to confer telepathic powers – it is thought to be extremely sensitive, able to pass stimulus information from its tip straight to the brain in an instant.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄣㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄧㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄊㄨㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sam¹ jau⁵ ling⁴ sai¹ jat¹ dim² tung¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng [Phonetic: xīn yǒu língxī yìdiǎn tōng]
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄣㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄧㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄊㄨㄥ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shin yeou lingshi yi1dean tong
  - IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁵⁵ i̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ liŋ³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: sam¹ jau⁵ ling⁴ sai¹ jat¹ dim² tung¹
  - Yale: sām yáuh lìhng sāi yāt dím tūng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sam¹ jau⁵ ling⁴ sai¹ jat⁷ dim² tung¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: sem¹ yeo⁵ ling⁴ sei¹ yed¹ dim² tung¹
  - IPA ^(key): /sɐm⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ lɪŋ²¹ sɐi̯⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ tiːm³⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

Middle Chinese: /siɪm ɦɨu^X leŋ sei ʔiɪt̚ tem^X tʰuŋ/▼

Rime
Character	心	有	靈	犀	一	點	通
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	云 (35)	來 (37)	心 (16)	影 (34)	端 (5)	透 (6)
Final (韻)	侵 (139)	尤 (136)	青 (125)	齊 (39)	質 (48)	添 (157)	東 (1)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	IV	IV	III	IV	I
Fanqie	息林切	云久切	郎丁切	先稽切	於悉切	多忝切	他紅切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siɪm/	/ɦɨu^X/	/leŋ/	/sei/	/ʔiɪt̚/	/tem^X/	/tʰuŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/sim/	/ɦiu^X/	/leŋ/	/sei/	/ʔit̚/	/tem^X/	/tʰuŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/sjem/	/ɣiəu^X/	/lɛŋ/	/sɛi/	/ʔjet̚/	/tɛm^X/	/tʰuŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sim/	/ɦuw^X/	/lɛjŋ/	/sɛj/	/ʔit̚/	/tɛm^X/	/tʰəwŋ/
Li Rong	/siəm/	/ɣiu^X/	/leŋ/	/sei/	/ʔiĕt̚/	/tem^X/	/tʰuŋ/
Wang Li	/sĭĕm/	/ɣĭəu^X/	/lieŋ/	/siei/	/ĭĕt̚/	/tiem^X/	/tʰuŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯əm/	/i̯ə̯u^X/	/lieŋ/	/siei/	/ʔi̯ĕt̚/	/tiem^X/	/tʰuŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xīn	yǒu	líng	xī	yi	diǎn	tōng

Idiom

心有靈犀一點通

(figuratively) two hearts linked as one; having minds that are in sync; two hearts beat as one; having great chemistry

Synonyms

心有靈犀／心有灵犀 (xīnyǒulíngxī)

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.