<p>This is not an answer but some references that might be helpful and are too long for the comments section.</p>
<hr />
<p>This is clearly a phenomenon because the first note written on 灸 in《规范》says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>注意 ㊀不读jiū。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But, without much of an explanation it is hard to see why they mention it other than the obvious idea that it often gets mispronounced this way.</p>
<hr />
<p>As for southern dialects《现代汉语方言音库 • 成都话音档》has the following entry:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>灸<br />
tɕiəu⁵⁵</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The tone is noted as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>⁵⁵</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Which is clearly 阴平, the same as jiu1.</p>
<hr />
<p>Looking through the tones on: <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%81%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">灸 | Wiktionary</a> we also have:</p>
<p>A high flat tone:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Hakka = /ki̯u⁵⁵/</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and a middle flat tone:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Cantonese = /kɐu̯³³/</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-19T12:16:50.410Z
2021-02-19T13:40:20.903Z
2021-02-19T13:40:20.903Z
Mou某
<p>The pinyin of 灸 as in 针灸 (acupuncture) or 艾灸 (moxibustion) is clearly given as jiu3, as shown in, among others, <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=%E8%89%BE%E7%81%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MDGB</a> and <a href="http://www.zdic.net/hans/%E8%89%BE%E7%81%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zdic</a>.</p>
<p>The single character doesn't even have alternate pronunciations, only jiu3 <a href="http://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%81%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">is listed</a>.</p>
<p>However in speech I've always heard it pronounced <strong>jiu1</strong> (example: <a href="https://youtu.be/RJFsJi7JvFI?t=10" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://youtu.be/RJFsJi7JvFI?t=10</a>). In this other video though (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJhs4vz4eI" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJhs4vz4eI</a>) it's pronounced as the dictionary suggests.</p>
<p>Is jiu1 a pronunciation of southern dialects? How did it come about?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-19T12:25:41.010Z
Yes, it is a common mistake. Most of the people around me make the same mistake. I realized it is wrong just a year ago, and I live on the north bank of the Yantze River.
T-Pioneer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-19T15:01:57.923Z
Both [普通话 (Mainland)](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%81%B8) and [國語 (Taiwan)](https://www.moedict.tw/%E7%81%B8) standards for Mandarin have jiǔ, corresponding to Middle Chinese 上聲. However, most southern Chinese topolects have readings with tones corresponding to Middle Chinese 去聲, e.g. Cantonese _gau3_, Hokkien _kiù_ (文) & _kù_ (白). [Both readings](https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&char=%E7%81%B8) exist in Guangyun.
Michaelyus
<pronunciation><topolect>
Why is 灸 pronounced jiu1?
# Why is 灸 pronounced jiu1?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-19)

The pinyin of 灸 as in 针灸 (acupuncture) or 艾灸 (moxibustion) is clearly given as jiu3, as shown in, among others, [MDGB](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E8%89%BE%E7%81%B8) and [Zdic](http://www.zdic.net/hans/%E8%89%BE%E7%81%B8).

The single character doesn't even have alternate pronunciations, only jiu3 [is listed](http://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%81%B8).

However in speech I've always heard it pronounced **jiu1** (example: <https://youtu.be/RJFsJi7JvFI?t=10>). In this other video though (<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJhs4vz4eI>) it's pronounced as the dictionary suggests.

Is jiu1 a pronunciation of southern dialects? How did it come about?

**Tags:** pronunciation, topolect

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, it is a common mistake. Most of the people around me make the same mistake. I realized it is wrong just a year ago, and I live on the north bank of the Yantze River.  
> **username_2**: Both [普通话 (Mainland)](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%81%B8) and [國語 (Taiwan)](https://www.moedict.tw/%E7%81%B8) standards for Mandarin have jiǔ, corresponding to Middle Chinese 上聲. However, most southern Chinese topolects have readings with tones corresponding to Middle Chinese 去聲, e.g. Cantonese _gau3_, Hokkien _kiù_ (文) & _kù_ (白). [Both readings](https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&char=%E7%81%B8) exist in Guangyun.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-02-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

This is not an answer but some references that might be helpful and are too long for the comments section.

---

This is clearly a phenomenon because the first note written on 灸 in《规范》says:

> 注意 ㊀不读jiū。

But, without much of an explanation it is hard to see why they mention it other than the obvious idea that it often gets mispronounced this way.

---

As for southern dialects《现代汉语方言音库 • 成都话音档》has the following entry:

> 灸  
> tɕiəu⁵⁵

The tone is noted as:

> ⁵⁵

Which is clearly 阴平, the same as jiu1.

---

Looking through the tones on: [灸 | Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%81%B8) we also have:

A high flat tone:

> Hakka = /ki̯u⁵⁵/

and a middle flat tone:

> Cantonese = /kɐu̯³³/


---

