Character: 練
Modern (Beijing) reading: liàn
Preclassic Old Chinese: rēns
Classic Old Chinese: rēnh
Western Han Chinese: rjānh
Eastern Han Chinese: riānh
Early Postclassic Chinese: liḕn
Middle Postclassic Chinese: liḕn
Late Postclassic Chinese: liḕn
Middle Chinese: lìen
English meaning : to boil (silk), to purify silk (by boiling)
Russian meaning[s]: 1) вываривать [шелк]; готовый шелк; 2) обучаться; упражняться, практиковаться; натренированный; обученный, квалифицированный; рафинированный; 3) отбирать, выбирать; 4) Лянь (фамилия)
Comments: Already in Shujing a metaphoric meaning ('to purify oneself, to improve oneself') is attested; later the word was widely used in the meaning 'to practise, exercise'. The source of labialisation in Viet. is not clear (there was certainly no labialisation in the Chinese source). For *r- cf. Xiamen lian6, Chaozhou, Fuzhou lieŋ6, Jianou liŋ6.
Radical: 120
Four-angle index: 5402
Karlgren code: 0185 i
Vietnamese reading: luyện
