冉

This entry is flagged for review.

Pronunciation

Peng'im: riam2
POJ: jiám
Variety: chaozhou

Pronunciation note: Realised [dz] ~ [z] ~ [l] depending on speaker and register; many younger speakers merge it with /l/. The cited sources corroborate [dz], relaxing to [z] for younger/overseas speakers; neither attests the further merger to /l/.

Meanings and usage

proper-noun: a surname
冉(姓)

The Wiktionary page lists several unrelated senses (archaic edge of a turtle shell, the ideophonic component of 冉冉, obsolete 'tender/weak', and a surname) all tied to the same undifferentiated reading; the surname sense was chosen as the most citable standalone meaning but this is a real judgment call.

Open in the interactive dictionary to hear available audio