<p>I think it's just a folklore, because every time I read this story, I can't find the source of the floklore cited there. I never treat this stroy seriously.</p>

<p>The oracle form of the character "年" is:(note: one oracle character may have different but similar shapes, because characters were not standardized at all in that times)
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Viu1F.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>The upper part looks like a bundle of grain, and the lower parts look like a man. This shape depicts a man with a bundle of grain on his back. It origninally means "the grains are ripe and human being need it".Because the grain plants were ripe once per year(in ancient times, argricultural tech was very low), the meaning of "year" derived.</p>

<p>Below is the different shapes of "年" in different times,showing its evolution. The picture comes from a great online dictinary "<a href="http://www.zdic.net/" rel="noreferrer">汉典</a>",however, it's only in Chinese. From left to right, the shape was used in "甲骨文(oracle,which is the oldest as far as we know)","金文(popular in 商and 周 dynasty, carved on bronze castings)","小篆(a standardized font, used in 秦 dynasty)",“楷体(the modern Kai font)". You can see that 
in 金文, the lower part became "千" and in 小篆, the shape was similar with the original 秊.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5QELE.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T04:11:34.510Z
Wiktionary sites 秊 as the oldest version of 年. Not sure if that is the same one in your answer. If it is the bottom half is 千. The meaning being grain harvested after an extended period of time.
going
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T06:11:05.073Z
@xiaohouzi79 I edited my answer to show you how 秊 came out. Anyway, we agree that this meaning is related to grains, right?
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T12:44:39.480Z
Huang, my question was not if the story was real or not, I don't understand your first paragraph... Anyway, if that's the etymology, then it means that the beast was called like that because it came once a year? Are there references for this?
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T12:48:57.787Z
@Alenanno I want to say: in my opinion, that story is fake, fabricated, and there is no such a beast(except in such a story). I have never found the source of the story and I find in the old dictionary like 《说文》 or 《康熙字典》, 年 has no meanings of "a beast".
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T12:51:53.117Z
@Alenanno First we have the character "年", and then someone fabricated such a story. To make the story looks real, the beast is called "年". That's my viewpoint.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T13:00:38.157Z
I didn't say that 年 means "beast", but rather that it was the beast's name. That's different. With "the story is fake" what do you mean? Are you saying there is no such a story in China or that the story is mythological? If the latter, that was kind of out of the question...
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T21:41:37.947Z
@Huang - Yes, agreed. Just wanted to check if that was the same as the bottom character in the 甲骨文 you provided. Now I understand. Thanks!
going
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-17T15:14:04.113Z
Huang, is it possible you simply don't know this story? I have found [many references](https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=chinese+mythology+nian&pbx=1&oq=chinese+mythology+nian&aq=f&aqi=g-v1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1404l4304l0l4506l22l12l0l5l5l1l260l2342l0.8.4l15l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=efa29c3e5b28f553&biw=1282&bih=663) about it...
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T03:59:25.333Z
2012-01-16T06:09:31.377Z
2012-01-16T06:09:31.377Z
Huang
<blockquote>
<p>In other words, is the character etymology related to this fact? If so, in what measure and what manner?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No, it is not. 「年獸」 is not a part of the character's glyph origins or the word's etymology, and is probably some kind of folk tale. I would say that 「年獸」 was named as such because &quot;it attacked once a year&quot;, but this is a kind of myth that has nothing to do with the linguistic aspects of 「年」.</p>
<hr />
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/rzyug.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/rzyug.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">粹</a>853<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=28287&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集28287</a></kbd></p>
<p>「年」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_%282014%29" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baxter-Sagart OC</a>: <strong>/*C.nˤi[ŋ]/</strong>) was originally 「秂」, comprised of simultaneously semantic and phonetic <a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「人」</a> (<strong>/*ni[ŋ]/</strong>, <em>person</em>) and semantic <a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=281" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「禾」</a> (<em>crops</em>), depicting a person <em>collecting harvest</em>. This was later extended to mean <em>periods of harvest</em>, until the modern meaning <em>year</em>.</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">春秋</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">金</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7wQu8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7wQu8.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br>鄀公平侯鼎<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2772&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成2772</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">秦</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ccav8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ccav8.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br>編年紀7<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">睡虎地秦簡</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">東漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/G6aE7.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/G6aE7.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br>夏承碑<br>　</kbd></p>
<p>「秂」 was later graphically corrupted into 「秊」, where <a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=37" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「千」</a> (<strong>/*s.n̥ˤi[ŋ]/</strong>) functionally remained as a phonetic indicator (but the semantic role of 「人」 has been lost).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Please note that 「千」 (<strong>/*s.n̥ˤi[ŋ]/</strong>) is made from phonetic 「人」 (<strong>/*ni[ŋ]/</strong>, written as 「亻」) and an ideographic distinguishing mark 「㇐」 as a horizontal stroke.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><kbd>東漢<br>隸<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/qZoBU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qZoBU.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br>華山廟碑<br>　</kbd><kbd>今<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/iu0y9.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/iu0y9.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>Later changes have continued to obscure character structure, until we get the modern form 「年」.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T13:32:00.727Z
2021-03-26T01:24:29.340Z
2021-03-26T01:24:29.340Z
dROOOze
<p>No.</p>

<pre><code>《尔雅 释天》：「载，岁也。夏曰岁，商曰祀，周曰年，唐虞曰载。」
《爾雅 釋天》：「載，歲也。夏曰歲，商曰祀，周曰年，唐虞曰載。」
</code></pre>

<p>Translation:</p>

<pre><code>载/載 means 岁/歲. 
In Xia dynasty, it's called 岁/歲; 
in Shang dynasty, it's call 祀; 
in Zhou dynasty, it's called 年; 
when 尧/堯 and 舜 were kings, it's called 载/載.
All of these mean "year".
</code></pre>

<p>Then you can see, 年 is just a word describing year, no others. All of these are still using today except 祀 which only means 祭祀 now.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-14T21:06:23.123Z
2013-02-14T21:06:23.123Z
Mike Manilone
<p><strong>Premise</strong>: According to the mythology related to the Chinese New Year, a creature called 年 (also referred to as 年兽 — <em>pinyin</em>: nián shòu — 年獸 in Traditional chinese) was a mythical beast that <em>"lived under the sea and in the mountains"</em>. </p>

<p>This beast used to come out once a year to attack people and eat them, although — always according to the mythology — it preferred children. Eventually the villagers understood that this beast hated loud noise and feared the color red (it seems this is the origin of the known red chinese lanterns), because it escaped when it saw a child wearing red.</p>

<p><strong>Here comes my question</strong>: Although the story is interesting, I'd like you to focus on the language part of this question. I noticed fairly quickly the relation between the name of this beast, 年 which means (year) and the fact that it attacked <strong><em>once a year</strong>, during the spring, so around the Chinese New Year celebration</em>.</p>

<p>Maybe it's a coincidence or maybe I'm just reading it wrong, but is this the origin of the term year or is it rather the opposite, i.e. the beast was given this name because it used to appear once a year?</p>

<p>In other words, is the character etymology related to this fact? If so, in what measure and what manner?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-26T22:26:05.567Z
The myth about 年兽 is a folk story told by the people (usually the mother, or grand mother) with purpose to quiet the perceivedly undisciplined little child during the new year celebration, especially during the whole family gathering period. The un-submissive (usually noisy) behaviors of the little child often seen as lack of good teaching from the parents, which would then be used by the relatives to criticize, and shame the parents.
r13
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T02:08:05.480Z
I don't quite get your question. Are you asking if 年 was named nián because the beast was called nián?
going
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T09:49:13.797Z
@xiaohouzi79 I was asking whether between the beast name and the word for "year" there is a relation and if so what kind of relation... :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T21:39:06.623Z
Ahhh, I got it now.
going
<etymology>
Is  the character 年 (or its etymology) related to the mythical beast in Chinese mythology?
# Is  the character 年 (or its etymology) related to the mythical beast in Chinese mythology?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-16)

**Premise**: According to the mythology related to the Chinese New Year, a creature called 年 (also referred to as 年兽 — *pinyin*: nián shòu — 年獸 in Traditional chinese) was a mythical beast that *"lived under the sea and in the mountains"*.

This beast used to come out once a year to attack people and eat them, although — always according to the mythology — it preferred children. Eventually the villagers understood that this beast hated loud noise and feared the color red (it seems this is the origin of the known red chinese lanterns), because it escaped when it saw a child wearing red.

**Here comes my question**: Although the story is interesting, I'd like you to focus on the language part of this question. I noticed fairly quickly the relation between the name of this beast, 年 which means (year) and the fact that it attacked ***once a year***, during the spring, so around the Chinese New Year celebration.

Maybe it's a coincidence or maybe I'm just reading it wrong, but is this the origin of the term year or is it rather the opposite, i.e. the beast was given this name because it used to appear once a year?

In other words, is the character etymology related to this fact? If so, in what measure and what manner?

**Tags:** etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I don't quite get your question. Are you asking if 年 was named nián because the beast was called nián?  
> **username_0**: @xiaohouzi79 I was asking whether between the beast name and the word for "year" there is a relation and if so what kind of relation... :)  
> **username_2**: Ahhh, I got it now.  
> **username_1**: The myth about 年兽 is a folk story told by the people (usually the mother, or grand mother) with purpose to quiet the perceivedly undisciplined little child during the new year celebration, especially during the whole family gathering period. The un-submissive (usually noisy) behaviors of the little child often seen as lack of good teaching from the parents, which would then be used by the relatives to criticize, and shame the parents.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-01-16. Score: 9

I think it's just a folklore, because every time I read this story, I can't find the source of the floklore cited there. I never treat this stroy seriously.

The oracle form of the character "年" is:(note: one oracle character may have different but similar shapes, because characters were not standardized at all in that times)
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Viu1F.jpg)

The upper part looks like a bundle of grain, and the lower parts look like a man. This shape depicts a man with a bundle of grain on his back. It origninally means "the grains are ripe and human being need it".Because the grain plants were ripe once per year(in ancient times, argricultural tech was very low), the meaning of "year" derived.

Below is the different shapes of "年" in different times,showing its evolution. The picture comes from a great online dictinary "[汉典](http://www.zdic.net/)",however, it's only in Chinese. From left to right, the shape was used in "甲骨文(oracle,which is the oldest as far as we know)","金文(popular in 商and 周 dynasty, carved on bronze castings)","小篆(a standardized font, used in 秦 dynasty)",“楷体(the modern Kai font)". You can see that
in 金文, the lower part became "千" and in 小篆, the shape was similar with the original 秊.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5QELE.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Wiktionary sites 秊 as the oldest version of 年. Not sure if that is the same one in your answer. If it is the bottom half is 千. The meaning being grain harvested after an extended period of time.  
> **username_3**: @xiaohouzi79 I edited my answer to show you how 秊 came out. Anyway, we agree that this meaning is related to grains, right?  
> **username_0**: username_3, my question was not if the story was real or not, I don't understand your first paragraph... Anyway, if that's the etymology, then it means that the beast was called like that because it came once a year? Are there references for this?  
> **username_3**: @username_0 I want to say: in my opinion, that story is fake, fabricated, and there is no such a beast(except in such a story). I have never found the source of the story and I find in the old dictionary like 《说文》 or 《康熙字典》, 年 has no meanings of "a beast".  
> **username_3**: @username_0 First we have the character "年", and then someone fabricated such a story. To make the story looks real, the beast is called "年". That's my viewpoint.  
> **username_0**: I didn't say that 年 means "beast", but rather that it was the beast's name. That's different. With "the story is fake" what do you mean? Are you saying there is no such a story in China or that the story is mythological? If the latter, that was kind of out of the question...  
> **username_2**: @username_3 - Yes, agreed. Just wanted to check if that was the same as the bottom character in the 甲骨文 you provided. Now I understand. Thanks!  
> **username_0**: username_3, is it possible you simply don't know this story? I have found [many references](https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=chinese+mythology+nian&pbx=1&oq=chinese+mythology+nian&aq=f&aqi=g-v1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1404l4304l0l4506l22l12l0l5l5l1l260l2342l0.8.4l15l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=efa29c3e5b28f553&biw=1282&bih=663) about it...  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-02-19. Score: 6

> In other words, is the character etymology related to this fact? If so, in what measure and what manner?

No, it is not. 「年獸」 is not a part of the character's glyph origins or the word's etymology, and is probably some kind of folk tale. I would say that 「年獸」 was named as such because "it attacked once a year", but this is a kind of myth that has nothing to do with the linguistic aspects of 「年」.

---

`商  
甲  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/rzyug.png)  
粹853  
合集28287`

「年」 ([Baxter-Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_%282014%29): **/\*C.nˤi[ŋ]/**) was originally 「秂」, comprised of simultaneously semantic and phonetic [「人」](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=9) (**/\*ni[ŋ]/**, *person*) and semantic [「禾」](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=281) (*crops*), depicting a person *collecting harvest*. This was later extended to mean *periods of harvest*, until the modern meaning *year*.

`春秋  
金  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/7wQu8.png)  
鄀公平侯鼎  
集成2772``秦  
簡  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ccav8.png)  
編年紀7  
睡虎地秦簡``東漢  
隸  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/G6aE7.png)  
夏承碑`

「秂」 was later graphically corrupted into 「秊」, where [「千」](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=37) (**/\*s.n̥ˤi[ŋ]/**) functionally remained as a phonetic indicator (but the semantic role of 「人」 has been lost).

> Please note that 「千」 (**/\*s.n̥ˤi[ŋ]/**) is made from phonetic 「人」 (**/\*ni[ŋ]/**, written as 「亻」) and an ideographic distinguishing mark 「㇐」 as a horizontal stroke.

`東漢  
隸  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/qZoBU.png)  
華山廟碑``今  
楷  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/iu0y9.png)`

Later changes have continued to obscure character structure, until we get the modern form 「年」.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2013-02-14. Score: 5

No.

```
《尔雅 释天》：「载，岁也。夏曰岁，商曰祀，周曰年，唐虞曰载。」
《爾雅 釋天》：「載，歲也。夏曰歲，商曰祀，周曰年，唐虞曰載。」

```

Translation:

```
载/載 means 岁/歲. 
In Xia dynasty, it's called 岁/歲; 
in Shang dynasty, it's call 祀; 
in Zhou dynasty, it's called 年; 
when 尧/堯 and 舜 were kings, it's called 载/載.
All of these mean "year".

```

Then you can see, 年 is just a word describing year, no others. All of these are still using today except 祀 which only means 祭祀 now.


---

