聖

聖 (Kangxi radical 128, 耳+7, 13 strokes, cangjie input 尸口竹土 (SRHG), four-corner 1610₄, composition ⿱𦔻𡈼)

• 𠏄, 𪢎, 𪬮, 𬉊, 檉, 𬂒, 蟶, 𧬼, 𨭰

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 967, character 22
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 29074
• Dae Jaweon: page 1415, character 28
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2789, character 6
• Unihan data for U+8056

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hljeŋs) : semantic 耳 (“ear”) + phonetic 呈 (OC *rleŋ, *l'eŋs). Compare 聽.

Likely related to 聽 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋ, “to hear; to listen”), 聲 (OC *qʰjeŋ, “sound”) (Boltz, 1994). If derived directly from 聲 (OC *qʰjeŋ, “sound”), it would literally mean “to be renowned; someone who is renowned” (Schuessler, 2007).

聖

1. noble
2. holy; sacred
3. saint; sage

   • 具曰：「予聖！」誰知烏之雌雄？ [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     具曰：「予圣！」谁知乌之雌雄？ [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Jù yuē: “Yú shèng!” Shéi zhī wū zhī cíxióng? [Pinyin]

     They all say: "I am a sage!" Yet who knows which crow is male or female?

   • 惟聖罔念作狂，惟狂克念作聖。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     惟圣罔念作狂，惟狂克念作圣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Documents, circa 7^th – 4^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Wéi shèng wǎng niàn zuò kuáng, wéi kuáng kè niàn zuò shèng. [Pinyin]

     The sages, through not thinking, become fools, and the fools, by thinking, become sages.

   • 我寫信給你們在羅馬、為神所愛、奉召作聖徒的眾人。願恩惠、平安從我們的父神並主耶穌基督歸與你們！ [MSC, trad.]
     我写信给你们在罗马、为神所爱、奉召作圣徒的众人。愿恩惠、平安从我们的父神并主耶稣基督归与你们！ [MSC, simp.]

     From: 和合本 (Héhéběn) (Chinese Union Version), 《羅馬書》 Romans 1:7, late 55 to early 57 CE.

     Wǒ xiě xìn gěi nǐmen zài Luómǎ, wéi Shén suǒ'ài, fèngzhào zuò shèngtú de zhòngrén. Yuàn ēnhuì, píng'ān cóng wǒmen de fù Shén bìng zhǔ Yēsū Jīdū guī yǔ nǐmen! [Pinyin]

     To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. (specifically) Confucius
5. master; professional
6. emperor; king
7. (honorific) form of address for the respected
8. (Eastern Min) propitious; efficacious; favouring; (of a god) able to protect

• “聖”, 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 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. holy, sacred

• Go-on: しょう (shō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
• Kun: ひじり (hijiri); ひじりだつ (hijiridatsu, 聖だつ); ひじる (hijiru, 聖る); きよい (kiyoi, 聖い)
• Nanori: あきら (akira); きよ (kiyo); きよし (kiyoshi); さと (sato); さとし (satoshi); さとる (satoru); たかし (takashi); たから (takara); とし (toshi); ひじり (hijiri); まさ (masa)

Compound of 日 (hi, “day, light, the sun”) +‎ 知り (shiri, “knowing”). The shiri changes to jiri due to rendaku (連濁).

聖(ひじり) • (hijiri) 

1. a very virtuous or godly person; a saint
2. (honorific) the emperor
3. a sage
4. an expert; someone distinguished in their field
5. a virtuous or high-ranking Buddhist priest or monk
6. a Buddhist priest or monk in general
7. a monk who has gone into seclusion for purposes of asceticism and spiritual enlightenment
8. a monk who has adopted an itinerant lifestyle for purposes of asceticism and spiritual enlightenment, supporting themselves by gathering alms and food contributions; by extension, an itinerant preacher monk from Mount Kōya
9. (euphemistic) alternate name for 清酒 (seishu, “refined sake”)
10. a textile peddler (from the resemblance to itinerant 高野聖 (Kōya hijiri) Buddhist preachers who would carry everything on their backs)

• (saint): 聖(せい)人(じん) (seijin)
• (emperor): 天(てん)皇(のう) (tennō)
• (sage): 仙(せん)人(にん) (sennin)
• (expert): 達(たつ)人(じん) (tatsujin)
• (virtuous monk): 聖(せい)僧(そう) (seisō), 大(だい)徳(とく) (daitoku)
• (monk or priest in general): 僧(そう)侶(りょう) (sōryō), 法(ほう)師(し) (hōshi)
• (ascetic in seclusion): 修(しゅ)験(げん)者(しゃ) (shugensha)
• (itinerant ascetic, textile peddler): 聖(ひじり)方(かた) (hijirikata)
• (itinerant preacher monk): 高(こう)野(や)聖(ひじり) (Kōya hijiri)

From Middle Chinese 聖 (MC syengH).

聖(せい) • (sei) ^†-nari

1. holy, sacred

聖(せい) • (sei) 

1. a saint; a holy person
2. holiness, sacredness
3. (euphemistic) alternate name for 清酒 (seishu, “refined sake”)

聖(せい) • (sei) 

1. (Brazil) Short for 聖州 (“São Paulo (a state of Brazil)”). or Short for 聖市 (“São Paulo (a municipality, the state capital of São Paulo, Brazil)”).

Phono-semantic matching of English saint, from Latin sanctus.

聖(せい) • (sei-) 

1. (Catholicism) prefix added to the names of saints

Jukujikun.

聖(たかし) • (Takashi) 

1. a male given name

Jukujikun.

聖(さとし) • (Satoshi) 

1. a male given name

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰɘ(ː)ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [성(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Wikisource 聖 (eumhun 성스러울 성 (seongseureoul seong))

1. Hanja form^? of 성 (“holy, saint, sacred”).

• 성인 (聖人, seong'in, “saint; holy man”)
• 성령 (聖靈, seongnyeong, “Holy Spirit; Holy Ghost”)

聖: Hán Việt readings: thánh
聖: Nôm readings: thánh, thiêng

聖

1. chữ Hán form of thánh (“holy, saint, sacred”).

聖

1. chữ Hán form of thánh (“saint”).

• Lê Sơn Thanh, "Nom-Viet.dat", WinVNKey (details)