释迦 (Shìjiā): Shakya (the clan of the Buddha)

Meanings

1 Shakya (the clan of the Buddha)
2 (abbreviation) Shakyamuni Buddha
3 sugar apple; custard apple (Annona squamosa)

Characters

释

shì

explain; release (here transliterating Sanskrit Shak-)

迦

jiā

(transliteration character, used in Buddhist terms)

Examples

释迦牟尼是佛教的创始人。

Shìjiāmóuní shì Fójiào de chuàngshǐrén.

Shakyamuni is the founder of Buddhism.

台湾盛产释迦。

Táiwān shèngchǎn shìjiā.

Taiwan produces an abundance of sugar apples.

Tips

history

释迦 transliterates Sanskrit "Shakya," the clan name of Siddhartha Gautama — hence 释迦牟尼 (Shakyamuni, "sage of the Shakyas"). The fruit is named 释迦 because its knobbly green skin was thought to resemble the Buddha's curled hair on statues.