<p>Like @songyuanyao said, <code>lùlín</code> is the one currently accepted in dictionaries. </p>

<p>绿 and 录 used to share the same pronunciation, somewhat between <code>lù</code> and <code>lǜ</code> (let's for a moment forget about 入声). Then vowel shifts happen, in different ways and to different degrees in different times and places. Now 绿 and 录 are parted in mandarin, but not in some other dialects.</p>

<p>Historically, for whatever reason, mandarin tried to conform to local and historical pronunciations, that's why we see a lot of strange pronunciation for toponyms. </p>

<p>But this trend is fading. Take 六安 for example, in newer dictionaries, it's read as <code>liu'an</code> instead of the traditional <code>lu'an</code>. The local people aren't content with this change, but there is nothing special with this 六; <code>lu</code> is just a local pronunciation, keeping it makes no sense. If we keep every local pronunciation, mandarin will explode with polyphones. </p>

<p>Same case with 绿 in 绿林 etc. Whatever the context, 绿 is unmistakably color of the chlorophyll. Keeping two pronunciations will do no good but only confuse people and raise questions like this. If <code>lù</code> is one day erased from dictionaries, I wouldn't be surprised a little bit.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-09T05:10:18.743Z
2016-08-09T05:18:42.577Z
2016-08-09T05:18:42.577Z
Wang Dingwei
<p>well, after the moment of forgetting 入聲, may we try the  approach by cantonese, which still has 入聲, and, is highly correlated to middle chinese (中古漢語)?</p>

<p><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%B6%A0" rel="nofollow">綠 (u+7da0)</a> in cantonese has only <strong>one</strong> pronunciation, which is luk6 (sydney lay scheme), <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/luk6.Mp3" rel="nofollow">sound file</a></p>

<p>說文解字 explained 綠 is "从糸﹒彔聲﹒力玉切"; that <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%BD%94" rel="nofollow">彔 (u+5f54)</a> is also luk6 in cantonese.</p>

<p>then, 力玉切:</p>

<p><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%8A%9B" rel="nofollow">力</a> --> lik6, get "l"</p>

<p><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%8E%89" rel="nofollow">玉</a> --> yuk6, get uk6</p>

<p>combine the "l" from "力" &amp; "uk6" from "玉", we get <strong>luk6</strong>. the pronunciation in cantonese today, still matches what was written in 漢 dynasty, about 1900+ years ago. isn't it wonderful?</p>

<p>btw, <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%85%AD" rel="nofollow">六</a> also shares the same pronunciation (exact initial, final &amp; tone) with 綠.</p>

<p>imo, discrepancy between modern days mandarin and literatures of yore,  rhyme dictionaries (韻書) are unsolvable; which causes confusions.</p>

<p>then, particular pronunciations would disappear, well, very unlikely. i would suggest, in case of doubt, shift to other dialects, lookup rhyme dictionaries; and adjust accordingly.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-09T07:29:00.760Z
2016-08-09T07:29:00.760Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BClin" rel="nofollow">绿林</a> were an agrarian rebellion movement during the Xin dynasty. How is 绿林 pronounced?</p>

<ul>
<li>Wikipedia <strike>claims</strike>claimed that it's Lǜlín</li>
<li>But in <a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/f/162/360278.htm" rel="nofollow">dictionaries</a> it's lùlín</li>
</ul>

<p>Which one is right?</p>

<pronunciation>
How to pronounce 绿林?
# How to pronounce 绿林?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-07)

The [绿林](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BClin) were an agrarian rebellion movement during the Xin dynasty. How is 绿林 pronounced?

* Wikipedia claimsclaimed that it's Lǜlín
* But in [dictionaries](http://www.zdic.net/c/f/162/360278.htm) it's lùlín

Which one is right?

**Tags:** pronunciation

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-08-09. Score: 4

Like @songyuanyao said, `lùlín` is the one currently accepted in dictionaries.

绿 and 录 used to share the same pronunciation, somewhat between `lù` and `lǜ` (let's for a moment forget about 入声). Then vowel shifts happen, in different ways and to different degrees in different times and places. Now 绿 and 录 are parted in mandarin, but not in some other dialects.

Historically, for whatever reason, mandarin tried to conform to local and historical pronunciations, that's why we see a lot of strange pronunciation for toponyms.

But this trend is fading. Take 六安 for example, in newer dictionaries, it's read as `liu'an` instead of the traditional `lu'an`. The local people aren't content with this change, but there is nothing special with this 六; `lu` is just a local pronunciation, keeping it makes no sense. If we keep every local pronunciation, mandarin will explode with polyphones.

Same case with 绿 in 绿林 etc. Whatever the context, 绿 is unmistakably color of the chlorophyll. Keeping two pronunciations will do no good but only confuse people and raise questions like this. If `lù` is one day erased from dictionaries, I wouldn't be surprised a little bit.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-08-09. Score: 2

well, after the moment of forgetting 入聲, may we try the approach by cantonese, which still has 入聲, and, is highly correlated to middle chinese (中古漢語)?

[綠 (u+7da0)](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%B6%A0) in cantonese has only **one** pronunciation, which is luk6 (sydney lay scheme), [sound file](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/luk6.Mp3)

說文解字 explained 綠 is "从糸﹒彔聲﹒力玉切"; that [彔 (u+5f54)](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%BD%94) is also luk6 in cantonese.

then, 力玉切:

[力](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%8A%9B) --> lik6, get "l"

[玉](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%8E%89) --> yuk6, get uk6

combine the "l" from "力" & "uk6" from "玉", we get **luk6**. the pronunciation in cantonese today, still matches what was written in 漢 dynasty, about 1900+ years ago. isn't it wonderful?

btw, [六](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%85%AD) also shares the same pronunciation (exact initial, final & tone) with 綠.

imo, discrepancy between modern days mandarin and literatures of yore, rhyme dictionaries (韻書) are unsolvable; which causes confusions.

then, particular pronunciations would disappear, well, very unlikely. i would suggest, in case of doubt, shift to other dialects, lookup rhyme dictionaries; and adjust accordingly.


---

