Character: 偶
Modern (Beijing) reading: ǒu
Preclassic Old Chinese: ŋōʔ
Classic Old Chinese: ŋṓ
Western Han Chinese: ŋwā́
Eastern Han Chinese: ŋwā́
Early Postclassic Chinese: ŋṓw
Middle Postclassic Chinese: ŋǝ̄̀w
Late Postclassic Chinese: ŋǝ̄̀w
Middle Chinese: ŋʌ́w
English meaning : one of a pair, mate, counterpart
Russian meaning[s]: 1) идол, кумир; кукла; 2) чета, пара; компаньон; под пару; парный; четный; мы с вами; в компании с...; 3) неожиданно, случайно; вдруг; 4) если бы случайно..., если бы...; 5) Оу (фамилия)
Comments: A somewhat later meaning is *'match (of a person)' > 'statue, idol'. For *ŋ- cf. Xiamen ŋɔ3, Chaozhou ŋou3, Fuzhou ŋeu3, Jianou ŋe3. During LZ also used for *ŋ(h)ō(ʔ)-s, MC ŋл̀w, Pek. òu 'luck, unexpected' (if the word is actually derived from *ŋōʔ 'match', it should be reconstructed as *ŋōʔ-s).
Radical: 9
Four-angle index: 3995
Karlgren code: 0124 n
