<h2>Pronunciation of 輸</h2>

<p>Stumpy's answer is correct, 輸 hasn't been pronounced as 俞 before. I add some Chinese materials to state this:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>郭錫良《漢字古音手冊》</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>輸</strong> （上古音）書侯 ɕǐwo （廣韻）式朱切，書虞合三平遇 ɕǐu</p>
</blockquote>

<p>where ɕ in international phonetic system sounds <strong>[舌上音]書</strong>.</p></li>
<li><p>《廣韻》</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>式朱切</p>
</blockquote>

<p>where <code>AB切</code> means initial consonant is from A and the vowel is from B.</p></li>
<li><p>《集韻》《韻會》</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>舂朱切</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><p>《正韻》</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>商朱切，音鄃</p>
</blockquote></li>
</ul>

<h2>Meaning of "to lose"</h2>

<p>Ming Dynasty 《正韻》:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>俗謂勝負爲輸贏。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>And Qing Dynasty, 段玉裁's 《說文解字注》</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>引申之，凡傾寫皆曰輸。輸於彼，則彼贏而此不足。故勝負曰贏輸。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So, 輸 just extended its meaning from 傾瀉(pour, flow out) to 不足(lack) and then to 負(to lose).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-23T02:06:08.427Z
How did you go about researching the changes in meaning? I had a hard time and didn't get far.
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-23T02:33:53.697Z
@StumpyJoePete: looking up 康熙字典, 說文解字, 說文解字注 would be a good start. If still you can't find it, Google scholar some linguistic journals to see if there's any paper discussing it.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-23T02:45:02.853Z
Nice interpretation! The last line is especially useful.
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-23T00:32:52.497Z
2013-07-23T00:38:27.723Z
2013-07-23T00:38:27.723Z
Stan
<h3>You are correct in thinking that is 俞 the phonetic for 輸, but even &quot;originally&quot;, they had distinct pronunciations:</h3>
<p>In Baxter's Middle Chinese reconstructions:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Ewbaxter/pdf/d161-180.pdf" rel="noreferrer">yu2 俞 MC yu</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Ewbaxter/pdf/d121-140.pdf" rel="noreferrer">shu1 輸 MC syu</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>In Baxter-Sagart <a href="http://crlao.ehess.fr/docannexe.php?id=1207" rel="noreferrer">Old Chinese reconstructions</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>yú 俞 OC *lo</p>
<p>shū 輸 OC *l̥o</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That is, &quot;originally&quot;, one of them had a devoiced initial, and the other didn't. This is, of course, a reconstruction, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Chinese_phonology#Evidence_from_phonetic_series" rel="noreferrer">you can read about the evidence Baxter offers for the l/l̥ reconstructions</a> and decide for yourself. In any event, devoiced l -&gt; s (or some silibant) is quite plausible.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-22T22:53:47.077Z
2013-07-22T22:53:47.077Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Stumpy Joe Pete
<p>The character 輸 was originally pronounced yu (indicated by the right side phonetic) and meant to transport. How did it come to be pronounced shu (Mandarin) and take on the meaning of to lose?</p>

<etymology>
Development of 輸
# Development of 輸

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-22)

The character 輸 was originally pronounced yu (indicated by the right side phonetic) and meant to transport. How did it come to be pronounced shu (Mandarin) and take on the meaning of to lose?

**Tags:** etymology


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-07-22. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

### You are correct in thinking that is 俞 the phonetic for 輸, but even "originally", they had distinct pronunciations:

In Baxter's Middle Chinese reconstructions:

> [yu2 俞 MC yu](http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Ewbaxter/pdf/d161-180.pdf)
>
> [shu1 輸 MC syu](http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Ewbaxter/pdf/d121-140.pdf)

In Baxter-Sagart [Old Chinese reconstructions](http://crlao.ehess.fr/docannexe.php?id=1207):

> yú 俞 OC \*lo
>
> shū 輸 OC \*l̥o

That is, "originally", one of them had a devoiced initial, and the other didn't. This is, of course, a reconstruction, but [you can read about the evidence Baxter offers for the l/l̥ reconstructions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Chinese_phonology#Evidence_from_phonetic_series) and decide for yourself. In any event, devoiced l -> s (or some silibant) is quite plausible.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-07-23. Score: 6

## Pronunciation of 輸

Stumpy's answer is correct, 輸 hasn't been pronounced as 俞 before. I add some Chinese materials to state this:

* 郭錫良《漢字古音手冊》

  > **輸** （上古音）書侯 ɕǐwo （廣韻）式朱切，書虞合三平遇 ɕǐu

  where ɕ in international phonetic system sounds **[舌上音]書**.
* 《廣韻》

  > 式朱切

  where `AB切` means initial consonant is from A and the vowel is from B.
* 《集韻》《韻會》

  > 舂朱切
* 《正韻》

  > 商朱切，音鄃

## Meaning of "to lose"

Ming Dynasty 《正韻》:

> 俗謂勝負爲輸贏。

And Qing Dynasty, 段玉裁's 《說文解字注》

> 引申之，凡傾寫皆曰輸。輸於彼，則彼贏而此不足。故勝負曰贏輸。

So, 輸 just extended its meaning from 傾瀉(pour, flow out) to 不足(lack) and then to 負(to lose).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: How did you go about researching the changes in meaning? I had a hard time and didn't get far.  
> **username_1**: @StumpyJoePete: looking up 康熙字典, 說文解字, 說文解字注 would be a good start. If still you can't find it, Google scholar some linguistic journals to see if there's any paper discussing it.  
> **username_3**: Nice interpretation! The last line is especially useful.  

---

