商

商 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 卜金月口 (YCBR), four-corner 0022₇, composition ⿳亠丷冏)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 194, character 32
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3803
• Dae Jaweon: page 415, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 288, character 6
• Unihan data for U+5546

Traditionally it is considered that 商人 (shāngrén) is so named because this term originally refers to people from Shang dynasty, who tend to do business.[1]

From 賒 (OC *hljaː) plus terminative suffix *-ŋ (Schuessler, 2007). See there for further etymology.

商

1. trade; commerce; business

   • 商則有居善疾售之貨。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     商则有居善疾售之货。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE, translated based on Alfred Forke's version

     Shāng zé yǒu jū shàn jí shòu zhī huò. [Pinyin]

     In commerce those sort of people manage to get excellent merchandise, which sells without delay.

2. businessman; dealer; trader; merchant

   • 使商無得糴，農無得糶。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     使商无得籴，农无得粜。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Lord Shang, circa 3^rd century BCE, translated based on J.J.L. Duyvendak's version

     Shǐ shāng wúdé dí, nóng wúdé tiào. [Pinyin]

     Do not allow merchants to buy grain nor farmers to sell grain.

   • 富家之商，必奪貧室之財。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     富家之商，必夺贫室之财。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE, translated based on Alfred Forke's version

     Fùjiā zhī shāng, bì duó pínshì zhī cái. [Pinyin]

     Merchants of wealthy houses will certainly snatch away the property of poor families.

3. (mathematics) quotient

   6除以2的商是3。  ―  6 chúyǐ 2 de shāng shì 3.  ―  The quotient of 6 divided by 2 is 3.

4. (music) the second note in the Chinese pentatonic scale

   • 商者，張也，陰氣開張，陽氣始降也；……。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     商者，张也，阴气开张，阳气始降也；……。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Ban Gu, The Comprehensive Discussions in the White Tiger Hall, 79 CE, translated based on Tjan Tjoe Som's version

     Shāng zhě, zhāng yě, yīnqì kāi zhāng, yángqì shǐ jiàng yě;....... [Pinyin]

     Shāng means zhāng 'to expand'; the yin-fluid begins to expand [while] the yang-fuild begins to contract; [...].

5. (～朝) Shang Dynasty
6. to discuss; to consult
7. (～宿) (Chinese astronomy) Alternative name for 心 (xīn, “Heart mansion (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions)”).

• (Chinese pentatonic scale) 宮／宫 (gōng), 商 (shāng), 角, 徵／征, 羽

• “商”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00600

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

• Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kan-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kun: あきなう (akinau, 商う, Jōyō)^{←あきなふ (akinafu, 商ふ, historical)}
• Nanori: あき (aki)

• 農(のう)商(しょう) (nōshō): agriculture and commerce

From Middle Chinese 商 (syang, “commerce”).

• (Tokyo) しょ​ー [shóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ː]

商(しょう) • (shō) ^{←しやう (syau)?}

1. dealing, dealer, merchant
2. (arithmetic) quotient

• 被(ひ)除(じょ)数(すう) (hijosū); 除(じょ)数(すう) (josū); 剰(じょう)余(よ) (jōyo)

15th century[2] (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

商(あき) • (aki) 

1. (often in compounds) trade, the exchange of goods for goods, barter

   あきひと ― akihito ― a trader, person who trades

From Middle Chinese 商 (MC syang). Recorded as Middle Korean 샤ᇰ (syang) (Yale: syang) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Wikisource 商 (eumhun 장사 상 (jangsa sang))

1. Hanja form^? of 상 (“trade; commerce”).

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

商: Hán Nôm readings: thương

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.