Peng is the
RomanizationIn linguistics, romanization or latinization, alternately spelt as latinisation or romanisation , is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman alphabet, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system...
of the Chinese character for a mythological bird.
The character, 鵬, is comprised of 朋 (
péng - a
phoneticPhonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds , and their physiological production, auditory perception, and neurophysiological status.Phonetics was studied as early as 2500 years ago in...
hint to pronunciation) and 鳥 (
niǎo - a
pictographA pictograph is an ideogram that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Earliest examples of pictographs include ancient or prehistoric drawings or paintings found on rock walls...
of a bird with long feathers).
In
Chinese mythologyChinese Mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written are several aspects to Chinese mythology, including creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
, the Peng and Kun are different forms of the same creature. Translated from the ancient literature, Zhuang Zi's
Xiao Yao You 逍遙遊):
- There lived a kind of giant mysterious fish in the northern sea.
Discussion
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Peng is the
RomanizationIn linguistics, romanization or latinization, alternately spelt as latinisation or romanisation , is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman alphabet, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system...
of the Chinese character for a mythological bird.
The character, 鵬, is comprised of 朋 (
péng - a
phoneticPhonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds , and their physiological production, auditory perception, and neurophysiological status.Phonetics was studied as early as 2500 years ago in...
hint to pronunciation) and 鳥 (
niǎo - a
pictographA pictograph is an ideogram that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Earliest examples of pictographs include ancient or prehistoric drawings or paintings found on rock walls...
of a bird with long feathers).
Literature
In
Chinese mythologyChinese Mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written are several aspects to Chinese mythology, including creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
, the Peng and Kun are different forms of the same creature. Translated from the ancient literature, Zhuang Zi's
Xiao Yao You 逍遙遊):
- There lived a kind of giant mysterious fish in the northern sea. These fish are called Kun. Nobody knows how big these fish actually are. They can turn into giant birds. When they are in bird form, they are known as Peng. Nobody knows how big these birds actually are. When they fly, their wings are like the colorful clouds in the sky. When there is a storm in the northern sea, the Peng will fly to the southern sea. They travel three thousand li
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
(Chinese miles) in one flap of their wings. They can fly for six months without rest.
Note: the southern sea (南冥) mentioned in the story is also known as Tian Chi (天池).
Famous people named Peng (鵬)
The Chinese word Peng (鵬) symbolizes ambitions and great accomplishments. This word is commonly used as a given name in
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. Several important Chinese politicians are named Peng. In contrast, the word Kun (鯤) is seldom used.
- Li Peng
Li Peng , was the Premier of the People's Republic of China between 1987 and 1998, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, from 1998 to 2003. For much of the 1990s Li was ranked second in the Communist Party of China hierarchy...
(李鵬)
- Yue Fei
Yue Fei was a famous Chinese patriot and military general who fought for the Southern Song Dynasty against the Jurchen armies of the Jin Dynasty...
(ZiA Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
: Pengju, 鵬舉)
- Ji Pengfei
Ji Pengfei was a politician in the People's Republic of China.Ji Pengfei was born in Linyi, Yuncheng, Shanxi in 1910. He was a renowned official and senior member of the communist party...
(姬鵬飛)
- Xiao Peng (肖鵬)
- Bi Dapeng (毕大鹏）