凡人

凡人

1. ordinary person; average person; common people
2. mortal

• (ordinary person):

From Middle Chinese compound 凡人 (bjom nyin). Compare modern Hakka reading fàm-ngìn.

The goon, so likely the initial borrowing.

• On’yomi: Goon
  • (Tokyo) ぼんにん [bòńníń] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [bõ̞ɲ̟ɲ̟ĩɴ]

凡人 (hiragana ぼんにん, rōmaji bonnin)

1. an ordinary person
2. a commoner, someone who is not nobility

This reading appears to be somewhat less common than bonjin below.

The ordinary sense of this term is somewhat negative, with overtones of mediocre, unremarkable, lackluster.

• (ordinary person): 凡 (ぼん)人 (じん) (bonjin) (see below); 凡 (ぼん)夫 (ぶ) (bonbu) (Buddhist overtones; used more in writing)
• (commoner): 平 (へい)民 (みん) (heimin): a commoner; 臣 (しん)下 (か) (shinka): a commoner, a subject

Shift in pronunciation from bonnin above, using the kan'on reading of jin for 人.

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) ぼんじん [bòńjíń] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [bõ̞ɲ̟d͡ʑĩɴ]

凡人 (hiragana ぼんじん, rōmaji bonjin)

1. an ordinary person
2. a commoner, someone who is not nobility

This appears to be the more common reading.

The ordinary sense of this term is somewhat negative, with overtones of mediocre, unremarkable, lackluster.

• (ordinary person): 凡 (ぼん)人 (にん) (bonnin) (see above); 凡 (ぼん)夫 (ぶ) (bonbu) (Buddhist overtones; used more in writing)
• (commoner): 平 (へい)民 (みん) (heimin): a commoner; 臣 (しん)下 (か) (shinka): a commoner, a subject

• (ordinary person): 偉 (い)人 (じん) (ijin): a magnificent person

Shift in pronunciation from bonnin or bonjin above, using the kan'on reading for both characters.

This reading appears in use by the 有職家 (yūsokuka, “people well acquainted with the rites and ceremonies of the imperial court and nobility”).[2]

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • IPA^(key): [hã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑĩɴ]

凡人 (hiragana はんじん, rōmaji hanjin)

1. (rare, possibly obsolete) an ordinary person, a commoner

The hanjin reading is the least common.