特

特 (Kangxi radical 93, 牛+6, 10 strokes, cangjie input 竹手土木戈 (HQGDI), four-corner 2454₁, composition ⿰牛寺)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 700, character 20
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 20013
• Dae Jaweon: page 1113, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1808, character 11
• Unihan data for U+7279

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *dɯːɡ) : semantic 牛 (“ox”) + phonetic 寺 (OC *ljɯs) – large bull.

There seem to be two main semantic fields: "bull" and "single; unique". It is unclear whether these two fields are related. Schuessler (2007) suggests a possible derivation of "bull" from "match", but "bull" seems to be the earlier sense. The "single; unique" sense could be an extension of "bull" due to its largeness (Li Xueqin, 2012).

In the "bull" sense, it is related to 犆 (OC *dɯɡ, “ox”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Wang (1982) relates the "three-year-animal" sense to 犢 (OC *l'oːɡ, “calf”); see there for more.

In the "single" sense, it is related to 直 (OC *dɯɡ, “simply; only”), 職 (OC *tjɯɡ, “simply; only”) (Schuessler, 2007). Wang (1982) relates it to 徒 (OC *l'aː) and 但 (OC *daːnʔ) in the "only" sense, as well as 獨 (OC *doːɡ, “single”) in the "single" sense, but see these entries for more.

特

1. ^† bull; ox

   • 歸，假于祖禰，用特。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     归，假于祖祢，用特。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Guī, jiǎ yú zǔ mí, yòng tè. [Pinyin]

     (When all was done), he returned (to the capital), repaired (to the ancestral temple) and offered a bull.

2. ^† cattle
3. ^† (of animals, especially bull) male
4. ^† one domestic animal
5. ^† three-year-old animal

   • 不狩不獵，胡瞻爾庭有縣特兮。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     不狩不猎，胡瞻尔庭有县特兮。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Bù shòu bù liè, hú zhān ěr tíng yǒu xuán tè xī. [Pinyin]

     You do not follow the chase;
     How do we see those three-year-olds hanging in your court-yards?

6. (literary) single; alone; by oneself
7. ^† match; mate; spouse

   • 髧彼兩髦，實維我特。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     髧彼两髦，实维我特。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Dàn bǐ liǎng máo, shí wéi wǒ tè. [Pinyin]

     With his two tufts of hair falling over his forehead,
     He was my only one.

8. ^† to stand tall
9. special; unique; distinguished
10. (literary) only; just
11. specially; intentionally
12. (colloquial) especially; outstandingly

    今天天氣特熱。／今天天气特热。  ―  Jīntiān tiānqì tè rè.  ―  It's especially hot today.

13. ^† in vain
14. ^† unexpectedly; yet
15. Short for 特務／特务 (tèwù, “special agent; spy”).
16. (Mainland China) Short for 特克斯 (tèkèsī, “tex”).
17. a surname

• → Bouyei: dag (“male (of animals); classifier for male animals”)
• → Proto-Southwestern Tai: *tʰɤkᴰ (“young male animal”)
  • Thai: ถึก (tʉ̀k, “young ox; male water buffalo”)
  • Lao: ເຖິກ (thœk, “male (of animals)”)
• → Proto-Vietic: *dək (“male”)
  • Vietnamese: đực (“male (of animal); bull”)
• → Zhuang: daeg (“male (of animals); classifier for young males”)

• “特”, 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–

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. ox, bull
2. special, exceptional, extraordinary
3. especially

• Go-on: どく (doku)
• Kan-on: とく (toku, Jōyō)
• Kun: おうし (ōshi, 特); ひとり (hitori, 特り); ことに (kotoni, 特に); ことなる (kotonaru, 特なる)

• 特異(とくい) (tokui)
• 特効薬(とっこうやく) (tokkōyaku)
• 特撮(とくさつ) (tokusatsu)
• 特殊(とくしゅ) (tokushu)
• 特捜(とくそう) (tokusō)
• 特定(とくてい) (tokutei)
• 特別(とくべつ) (tokubetsu)
• 特防(とくぼう) (tokubō)
• 特務(とくむ) (tokumu)
• 独特(どくとく) (dokutoku)

From Middle Chinese 特 (MC dok, “special; male livestock”).

Wikisource 特 (eumhun 특별할 특 (teukbyeolhal teuk))
特 (eumhun 수컷 특 (sukeot teuk))

1. (used in compounds) Hanja form^? of 특 (“special; exceptional”).
2. (literary) Hanja form^? of 특 (“male animal”).

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

特: Hán Nôm readings: đặc, đực, đước, được, sệt

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