<p>I would like to share an interesting “I”, 朕. </p>

<p>In modern day (or post-Qin Dynasty) usage, 朕 was a first person pronoun reserved solely for the Emperor to refer to himself in front of all his subjects. </p>

<p>However, before the Qin Dynasty, 朕 was a word used by all commoners to refer to themselves, among the large variety of words which conveyed the same meaning. (予、僕、吾、我）</p>

<p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu_Yuan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">屈原</a>, who lived in the Warring States period of the Zhou dynasty, wrote a poem called <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Sao" rel="nofollow noreferrer">离骚</a>. The first line says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>帝高阳之苗裔兮，朕皇考曰伯庸。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>“(I am) a descendant of <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuanxu" rel="nofollow noreferrer">帝高阳</a>, my (late) father’s name is 伯庸.”</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-01T04:00:03.300Z
In the same vein, 寡人、孤
Vim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-27T03:15:09.130Z
2020-01-27T03:15:09.130Z
Axel Tong
<ul>
<li><strong>咱家</strong>: often used in early vernacular literature

<ul>
<li>eg: 《红楼梦．第五六回》：「众丫鬟都笑道：『原来不是咱家的宝玉。』」</li>
</ul></li>
<li><p><strong>洒家</strong>: (音zá) oral used around Song &amp; Yuan Dynasty. “洒家”是宋元时代北方口语</p></li>
<li><p>在下, 鄙人, 不才, when introducing oneself to someone in same age</p></li>
<li>晚生、后生: 年轻者在年长者面前的自陈。young people saying 'I' to elder people.</li>
<li>老夫: 年长者在年轻者面前的自称，elder people saying 'I' to young.</li>
<li>不孝儿：儿子在父母面前的自称, son saying 'I' to parents</li>
<li>家: 用于对别人称自己的辈分高或年纪大的亲戚。如家父. introducing one's parent/elder relatives to others</li>
<li>舍: 用于对别人称自己的辈分低或年纪小的亲戚。如舍弟, introducing one's relatives with same ages to others</li>
<li>愚: 用于自称的谦称。如愚兄, introducing oneself</li>
<li>敝, 鄙: 用于谦称自己或跟自己有关的事物</li>
<li>more at <a href="https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/64570086.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> </li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-27T04:02:48.003Z
2020-01-27T04:02:48.003Z
Fifi
<p><strong>同源詞</strong></p>

<ul>
<li><p>我 (Baxter-Sagart 上古漢語擬音: <strong>/*ŋˤajʔ/</strong>), 吾 (<strong>/*ŋˤa/</strong>)</p>

<ul>
<li><p> (客家話)</p></li>
<li><p>俺 (我 + 們)</p></li>
<li><p>阮 (我 + 儂, 閩南語)</p></li>
<li><p>阿拉 (「阿」同源于「我」, 「拉」是複數詞, 上海話)</p></li>
<li><p>卬 (雙峰湘語)</p></li>
<li><p>昂 (金華吳語)</p></li>
</ul></li>
<li><p>予 (<strong>/*laʔ/</strong>), 余 (<strong>/*la/</strong>)</p>

<ul>
<li>朕 (<strong>/*lrəmʔ/</strong>, 皇帝自稱)</li>
<li>台 (<strong>/*lə/</strong>, 普通話 <strong>yí</strong>)</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>謙詞</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>小人</li>
<li>臣</li>
<li>奴 (閩東語中是普通詞語)</li>
<li>儂 (同源于「人」, 文昌話)</li>
<li>僕, 婢</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>文言中其他詞語</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>私</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-28T00:11:27.660Z
Hi and thanks! zdic has for 阮：唐代读音：ngiuæ̌n Is that the correct sound for this character as I??
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-28T06:13:25.050Z
@Pedroski You're supposed to read it in the topolect that it's used in (閩南福建話, **gún** in [POJ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%CC%8Dh-%C5%8De-j%C4%AB) Romanisation), not 唐代讀音. Have you tried Wiktionary? They're pretty comprehensive in the topolects they list there.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-27T03:05:53.247Z
2020-01-27T03:15:37.283Z
2020-01-27T03:15:37.283Z
dROOOze
<p>I wonder how many words and pronunciations for <strong>I</strong> exist/existed in Chinese. </p>

<p>I know of these:</p>

<p>我：wǒ， but I believe it is pronounced <strong>ngo</strong> in Cantonese. </p>

<p>There seems to be an n-root for I in Chinese. I know, in 江苏泰州话， I = n</p>

<p>吾: wú also yù</p>

<p>余：yú</p>

<p>俺：ǎn （孙悟空说的“俺老空”）</p>

<p>Can you contribute any more <strong>I</strong>s， please?</p>

<word>
How many words for I are there in Chinese?
# How many words for I are there in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-27)

I wonder how many words and pronunciations for **I** exist/existed in Chinese.

I know of these:

我：wǒ， but I believe it is pronounced **ngo** in Cantonese.

There seems to be an n-root for I in Chinese. I know, in 江苏泰州话， I = n

吾: wú also yù

余：yú

俺：ǎn （孙悟空说的“俺老空”）

Can you contribute any more **I**s， please?

**Tags:** word


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-01-27. Score: 3

I would like to share an interesting “I”, 朕.

In modern day (or post-Qin Dynasty) usage, 朕 was a first person pronoun reserved solely for the Emperor to refer to himself in front of all his subjects.

However, before the Qin Dynasty, 朕 was a word used by all commoners to refer to themselves, among the large variety of words which conveyed the same meaning. (予、僕、吾、我）

[屈原](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu_Yuan), who lived in the Warring States period of the Zhou dynasty, wrote a poem called [离骚](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Sao). The first line says:

> 帝高阳之苗裔兮，朕皇考曰伯庸。

“(I am) a descendant of [帝高阳](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuanxu), my (late) father’s name is 伯庸.”

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: In the same vein, 寡人、孤  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-01-27. Score: 3

* **咱家**: often used in early vernacular literature
  + eg: 《红楼梦．第五六回》：「众丫鬟都笑道：『原来不是咱家的宝玉。』」
* **洒家**: (音zá) oral used around Song & Yuan Dynasty. “洒家”是宋元时代北方口语
* 在下, 鄙人, 不才, when introducing oneself to someone in same age
* 晚生、后生: 年轻者在年长者面前的自陈。young people saying 'I' to elder people.
* 老夫: 年长者在年轻者面前的自称，elder people saying 'I' to young.
* 不孝儿：儿子在父母面前的自称, son saying 'I' to parents
* 家: 用于对别人称自己的辈分高或年纪大的亲戚。如家父. introducing one's parent/elder relatives to others
* 舍: 用于对别人称自己的辈分低或年纪小的亲戚。如舍弟, introducing one's relatives with same ages to others
* 愚: 用于自称的谦称。如愚兄, introducing oneself
* 敝, 鄙: 用于谦称自己或跟自己有关的事物
* more at [here](https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/64570086.html)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-01-27. Score: 2

**同源詞**

* 我 (Baxter-Sagart 上古漢語擬音: **/\*ŋˤajʔ/**), 吾 (**/\*ŋˤa/**)

  + (客家話)
  + 俺 (我 + 們)
  + 阮 (我 + 儂, 閩南語)
  + 阿拉 (「阿」同源于「我」, 「拉」是複數詞, 上海話)
  + 卬 (雙峰湘語)
  + 昂 (金華吳語)
* 予 (**/\*laʔ/**), 余 (**/\*la/**)

  + 朕 (**/\*lrəmʔ/**, 皇帝自稱)
  + 台 (**/\*lə/**, 普通話 **yí**)

**謙詞**

* 小人
* 臣
* 奴 (閩東語中是普通詞語)
* 儂 (同源于「人」, 文昌話)
* 僕, 婢

**文言中其他詞語**

* 私

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Hi and thanks! zdic has for 阮：唐代读音：ngiuæ̌n Is that the correct sound for this character as I??  
> **username_4**: @username_0 You're supposed to read it in the topolect that it's used in (閩南福建話, **gún** in [POJ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%CC%8Dh-%C5%8De-j%C4%AB) Romanisation), not 唐代讀音. Have you tried Wiktionary? They're pretty comprehensive in the topolects they list there.  

---

