dao
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /daʊ/
- Rhymes: -aʊ
Noun
dao (plural daos)
- Any of various traditional Chinese swords with a curved, single-edged blade, primarily used for slashing and chopping.
Etymology 2
From the pinyin romanization of Chinese 道 (Dào, literally “the Way”) or (dào, "circuit").
Proper noun
dao
Noun
dao (usually uncountable, plural daos)
- (historical) Synonym of circuit: various administrative divisions of imperial and early Republican China.
Etymology 4
Likely related to one of the preceding words ("Chinese sword", "Burmese knife").
Noun
dao (plural daos)
Noun
dao (plural daos)
- Dracontomelon dao; a large tree of the family Anacardiaceae; the argus pheasant tree.
- The hard strong wood of the dao used for veneers and cabinetwork.
Aromanian
Cebuano
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: da‧o
Limburgish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [dɔː˨]
- Hyphenation: dao
- Rhymes: -ɔː
Synonyms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [dɔː˦]
- Hyphenation: dao
- Rhymes: -ɔː
Mandarin
Romanization
dao
Usage notes
- Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
Tagalog
Alternative forms
- dauo — obsolete, Spanish-based orthography
- dawo — obsolete
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *daqu (“a tree: Dracontomelum edule”). Compare Cebuano dao, Kapampangan dau, and Indonesian dahu.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /daˈʔo/, [dɐˈʔo]
- Hyphenation: da‧o
Further reading
- “dao” at KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2021
- “dao”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
- Blust, Robert, Trussel, Stephen (2010–) “*daqu₁”, in The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary
Toba Batak
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *zauq.
References
- Warneck, J. (1906). Tobabataksch-Deutsches Wörterbuch. Batavia: Landesdrukkerij, p. 45.
Toraja-Sa'dan
Vietnamese
Alternative forms
- (North Central Vietnam) đao
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *-taːw, from Old Chinese 刀 (OC *C.tˤaw) (B-S) (SV: đao). Compare North Central Vietnamese đao (“knife”).
This word was borrowed at a stage when the Sinitic word still retained the preinitial, thus causing lenition: *-t- > Middle Vietnamese dĕao [ðj-] > modern [z- ~ j-]. The Sino-Vietnamese reading đao, on the other hand, derived from Middle Chinese 刀 (MC taw) when the onset already simplified and resulted in a stop. The North Central đao, although formally identical to the more recent Sino-Vietnamese reading, belongs to the same stratum as dao, as indicated by the meaning "knife", due to the fact that these dialects did not undergo lenition to as large an extent.
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [zaːw˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [jaːw˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [jaːw˧˧]
- Homophone: Dao; giao