Jiong

Jiong (囧) in Kaishu, Clerical, Seal and Oracle bone scripts (top to bottom).

Jiong^[1] (Chinese: 囧; pinyin: jiǒng; Jyutping: gwing2) is a once obscure Chinese character meaning a "patterned window".^[2] Since 2008, it has become an internet phenomenon and widely used to express embarrassment and gloom, because of the character's resemblance to a sad facial expression.^[3]

Original meanings

1. Window, according to Xu Shen's 2nd-century dictionary Shuowen Jiezi: “窻牖麗廔闓明” (an open and light window).
2. Granary. 米囧 means “put the new rice into a granary”.
3. Sacrificial place. Based on Chouli.
4. Toponym.

Internet emoticon

The character for jiong is nowadays more widely used on the Internet as an ideographic emoticon representing a range of moods, as it resembles a person's face. It is commonly used to express ideas or feelings such as annoyance, shock, embarrassment, awkwardness, etc.

The use of jiong as an emoticon can be traced to 2005 or earlier; it was referenced on 20 January 2005 in a Chinese-language article on orz.^[4] The character is sometimes used in conjunction with orz, OTZ or its other variants to form "囧rz", representing a person on their hands and knees (jiong forming the face, while r and z represent arms and legs respectively) and symbolising despair or failure.

References

1. An approximate pronunciation in English is /ˈdʒjoʊŋ/.
2. Li & Li 2014, pp. 252-3.
3. Hammond & Richey 2014, p. 141.
4. http://www.nownews.com/2005/01/20/327-1744028.htm

Bibliography

• Hammond, Kenneth J.; Richey, Jeffrey L. (3 December 2014). The Sage Returns: Confucian Revival in Contemporary China. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-5493-1.
• Li, Yuming; Li, Wei (1 April 2014). The Language Situation in China. De Gruyter. ISBN 978-1-61451-365-0.
• Ru, Xin; Lu, Xueyi; Li, Peilin (25 March 2010). The China Society Yearbook. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-18221-7.