釋

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (釋):
* → Japanese: 釈(しゃく) (shaku)
* → Korean: 석(釋) (seok)
* → Vietnamese: Thích (釋)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hljaɡ): semantic 釆 (“distinguish”) + phonetic 睪 (OC *neb, *laːɡ, *kuː).
;Buddhist monastic surname
Popularized by Dao'an as a common surname for all Buddhist monastics by taking the first character of Śākyamuni Buddha's transliterated Chinese name, 釋迦牟尼／释迦牟尼 (Shìjiāmóuní).

zh-l

釋迦牟尼／释迦牟尼 (Shìjiāmóuní)

At the beginning of the Wei and Jin, śramaṇas all took their surname from their teachers, and thus their surnames were all different. Dao'an believed that the archetype of all great teachers could not be anyone other than Śākya[muni], and thus gave Shi as their lineage.

Chū Wèi Jìn shāmén yī shī wèi xìng, gù xìng gè bùtóng, Ān yǐwèi dàshī zhī běn, mò zūn Shìjiā, nǎi yǐ Shì mìng shì.

初魏晉沙門依師為姓，故姓各不同，安以為大師之本，莫尊釋迦，乃以釋命氏。

初魏晋沙门依师为姓，故姓各不同，安以为大师之本，莫尊释迦，乃以释命氏。

釋迦牟尼 釋迦牟尼#Chinese

释迦牟尼 释迦牟尼#Chinese

(Buddhism) Short for 釋迦牟尼／释迦牟尼 (Shìjiāmóuní, “Shakyamuni”).

21st tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "release, freedom" (𝌚)

a surname (customarily adopted by Buddhist monks and nuns upon their ordination)


角

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (角):
* → Japanese: 角(かく) (kaku)
* → Korean: 각(角) (gak)
* → Vietnamese: giác (角)

→ Khmer: កាក់ (kak)
→ English: kak

→ Thai: กั๊ก (gák)

→ Vietnamese: góc

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Characters in the same phonetic series (角) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a horn. A conservative version is 𧢲. Similar but unrelated to 甬, 用, and the bottom part of 備.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *krəw (“horn; angle; corner”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan རྭ (rwa, “horn”), Garo grong (“horn”), Jingpho nrung (“horn”), Chepang रोङः (roŋʔ, “horn”), 觡 (OC *kraːɡ, “antler”). The Tibeto-Burman *-ŋ final variant is reflected in 觥 (OC *kʷraːŋ, “drinking vessel made from animal horn”) (Schuessler, 2007). Possibly also related to 鹿 (OC *b·roːɡ, “deer”) (Sagart, 1999).
A derivative is 餃 (“stuffed dumpling”), named for its horn-like shape (Norman, 1988).
It is probably unrelated with Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nós (“horn”) ( < *ḱerh₂- (“horn”)) and Proto-Semitic *ḳarn- (“horn”) despite the phonological and semantic resemblance between the three.

och-l

Why is the note called jué? Jué means yuè ‘to leap’' the yang-fluid stirs and leaps; …

Ban Gu, The Comprehensive Discussions in the White Tiger Hall, 79 CE, translated based on Tjan Tjoe Som's version

Suǒyǐ míng zhī wèi jué zhě? Yuè yě, yángqì dòngyuè;.......

所以名之為角者？躍也，陽氣動躍；……。

所以名之为角者？跃也，阳气动跃；……。

(music) third note in the Chinese pentatonic scale, or mi


配

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 酉 (“alcohol vessel”) + 卩 (“kneeling person”).

Han compound

(Eastern Min, Wenzhounese) a dish served to accompany rice or other staple food


運

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (運):
* → Japanese: 運(うん) (un)
* → Korean: 운(運) (un)
* → Vietnamese: vận (運)

Characters in the same phonetic series (軍) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢuns): semantic 辵 (“motion”) + phonetic 軍 (OC *kun).
STEDT relates it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *wal (“round; circular”), which is also connected to the following:
* 圓 (OC *ɢon, “round”)
* 圜 (OC *ɡʷraːn, “round”)
* 旋 (OC *sɢʷans, “to revolve; to return”)
* 環 (OC *ɡʷraːn, “ring”)
* 還 (OC *ɡʷraːn, “to return”)
* 院 (OC *ɦŋons, “courtyard”).
暈 (OC *ɢuns, “halo”) is the same word (Schuessler, 2007). It is possibly related to 雲 (OC *ɢun, “cloud”) (ibid.).
Additionally, Karlgren (1933) relates it to 圍 (OC *ɢʷɯl, “to surround”), and Wang (1982) to 回 (OC *ɡuːl, “to return”).


酥

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sŋaː): semantic 酉 (“alcohol”) + abbreviated phonetic 穌 (OC *sŋaː).

Han compound

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

鳳梨酥

凤梨酥


郭

desc

→ English: Guo, Kuo, Kwok, Kuok, Quek, Kuek, Kwek

→ Tagalog: Kwek, Que

The original version on oracle bones shows a tall tower similar to 京 and 高 (< 髙) which perhaps was part of the outer city walls in ancient Chinese cities. At the bottom, there was an enclosed space 囗 to represent city walls or a city in general and another tower.
Later, the tower at the bottom was stylized like the unrelated 子 and the enclosed space was drawn as the unrelated 回. Hence, the whole character was written like 𩫖 and 𩫏. Sometimes, the second variant had the bottom part contracted into 十.
Eventually, 邑 was added to form an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 𩫖 (“tall building”) + 邑 (“city”), hence 𩫩, sometimes simplified into 𨟍 – outer city walls with tall towers.
From clerical script, the 𩫖 became written as the unrelated 享 through the process of libian; the two characters are unrelated.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/r-kawk ~ s/r-kwak (“outer covering; skin, bark, rind”) (STEDT, Schuessler, 2007).
; “to be none of someone's own business”

inh

There is a city, with an inner wall of three li in circumference, and an outer wall of seven. The enemy surround and attack it, but they are not able to take it.

Sān lǐ zhī chéng, qī lǐ zhī guō, huán ér gōng zhī ér bù shèng.

三里之城，七里之郭，環而攻之而不勝。

三里之城，七里之郭，环而攻之而不胜。

Yéniáng wén nǚ lái, chū guō xiāng fújiāng.

爺孃聞女來，出郭相扶將。

爷娘闻女来，出郭相扶将。


較

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kreːwɢs, *kreːwɢ): semantic 車 (“vehicle”) + phonetic 交 (OC *kreːw).

Han compound

(Hokkien) no matter how ... (often followed by 嘛 (mā) or 也 (iā))


辰

Pictogram (象形) – a kind of agricultural tool used for tilling the fields and removing weeds (Guo, 1931; Qiu, 1992), possibly made of a kind of large clam 蜃 (OC *djɯns, *djɯnʔ, *djins) (Guo, 1931).
Alternatively, it could be a pictogram (象形) of a person holding onto a cliff – original character of 振 (OC *tjɯn, *tjɯns, “to hold up”) (Shang, 1983).
; “to vibrate”
; “fifth earthly branch”
:Smith (2011) agrees with the proposal (e.g. by Guo, 1931) that 辰 (OC dən) initially depicted an agricultural implement made from clams' shells and was the original form of 蜃 (OC dəns, “mollusc, clam”); so he proposes that the fifth earthly branch depicted the moon's second waning-gibbous phase, which looks like a clam. He also suggests that 辰 (chén) also represented the ovoid-shaped rising sun and is thus related to 晨 (chén, “early morning”).
; “time”
; “heavenly body”

fifth of twelve earthly branches (地支), variously equated with

(navigation) a bearing of 120° (between ESE and SE)

(Chinese calendar) the 3rd lunar month (三月)

(Chinese calendar) the 5th day or year in a dozen

(Chinese timekeeping) the 2-hour period between 7 and 9 am

(Chinese astronomy) Alternative name for 心宿 (Xīnxiù, “Heart Mansion (one of Twenty-Eight Mansions)”).

心宿

(Chinese astronomy) Alternative name for 北極星／北极星 (Běijíxīng, “North Star”).


銥

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 衣 (yī)


鯉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rɯʔ): semantic 魚 (“fish”) + phonetic 里 (OC *rɯʔ).
Schuessler (2007) considers connection to Proto-Tai *plaːᴬ (“fish”) to be unlikely.
Norman (2014) compares it to Proto-Kam-Tai *mbləi (“carp”), suggesting that it may be an early loan from Chinese; compare Thai ปลาไน (nai, “common carp”), Lakkia [script needed] (-plai⁴, “carp”).
See the entry 雙鯉魚 for the figurative senses.

Han compound

Cyprinus carpio
Cyprinus carpio#Translingual

carp, especially the common carp (Cyprinus carpio)


載

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔslɯːʔ, *ʔslɯːs, *zlɯːs): semantic 車 (“chariot”) + phonetic 𢦏 (OC *ʔslɯː).

Han compound

to record; to put down in writing (i.e. “to be conveyed”)


醜

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯²¹⁴/

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰjuʔ): phonetic 酉 (OC *luʔ) + semantic 鬼 (“ghost, demon”) - demons are ugly in Chinese culture.

Han compound

(obsolete) person or thing of the same kind


釣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pleːwɢs): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 勺 (OC *pljewɢ, *bljewɢ).

Han compound

(figurative) to go after; to tempt; to lure


透

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰoːs, *hljuɡ): semantic 辵 (“walking”) + phonetic 秀 (OC *slus).
This character is not attested in the oracle bone script or bronze inscriptions.

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 透 (MC thuwH)


鈔

Persian: چاو (paper money) (Ilkhanate)

desc

Persian: چاوخانه (place where paper money was made) (Ilkhanate)

/t͡sʰaːu̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰaːu̯³³/

/t͡sʰaːu̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰaːu̯³³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sm̥ʰreːw, *sm̥ʰreːws): semantic 金 + phonetic 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews).


鉎

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sreŋ, *sleːŋ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs).


話

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (話):
* → Japanese: 話(わ) (wa)
* → Korean: 화(話) (hwa)
* → Vietnamese: thoại (話)

→ Lao: ວ່າ (wā)

→ Lü: ᦞᦱᧈ (vaa¹)

→ Shan: ဝႃႈ (wāa)

→ Thai: ว่า (wâa)

→ Zhuang: vah

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡroːds): semantic 言 (“word”) + phonetic 𠯑 (OC *ɡroːd). The right component is not related to 舌 (OC *ɦbljed, “tongue”).
Cognate with 曰 (OC *ɢʷad) according to Sagart (1999); if so, it is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *grwas (“to speak; word”), whence Tibetan གྲོས་སྡུར་བྱེད་པ (gros sdur byed pa, “to consult; to discuss”) (STEDT).
; "episode"

cog

གྲོས་སྡུར་བྱེད་པ

四川話

四川话

越南話

越南话

What language do you usually speak with him?

nei⁵ ping⁴ si⁴ tung⁴ keoi⁵ gong² me¹ waa⁶⁻² gaa³?

你平時同佢講咩話㗎？

你平时同佢讲咩话㗎？


被

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bralʔ, *brals): semantic 衣 (“clothing”) + phonetic 皮 (OC *bral).
Cognate with 披 (OC *pʰral, *pʰralʔ). The meaning of passive marker is an extension of "to wear; to be covered by something".

Han compound

被子

被褥

墊被／垫被 ― diànbèi ― mattress

2021, “記憶棉 [Pillow Talk]”, 林寶 [Jackson Lam] (lyrics), 徐浩 [Terry Chui] (music)performed by 張天賦 [MC]:

Hugging on a blanket, I thought of you in the memory foam

jan⁴ pou⁵ zoek⁶ jat¹ zoeng¹ pei⁵, zoi⁶ gei³ jik¹ min⁴ noi⁶ soeng² hei² nei⁵

人抱著一張被 在記憶棉內想起你

人抱着一张被 在记忆棉内想起你

bedding; quilt; blanket (Classifier: 床 m; 張／张 c; 領／领 mn)


鋰

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 里.
Borrowed from New Latin lithium.


身

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (身):
* → Vietnamese: thân (身)

Characters in the same phonetic series (身) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形): from a pictograph of a pregnant woman. See also the reversed version 㐆. Unrelated to 射.
STEDT relates it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sja-n ~ *sin (“flesh; animal; body”), but recent Old Chinese reconstructions would not support this etymology.
Because 身 is used as a phonetic for 仁 (OC *niŋ) in excavated texts, Baxter and Sagart (2012, 2014) reconstruct the initial as nasal. This would allow for a comparison to Tibetan སྙིང (snying, “heart”), Japhug tɯsni (“heart”) (Baxter and Sagart, 2012; Zhang, Jacques and Lai, 2019), which are from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/k-n(j)i-k/ŋ (“heart; mind; brain”).

cog

(literary or Southern Min, Puxian Min) Classifier for statues, dolls, puppets.

(Southern Min) Classifier for silkworms.

(Cantonese, idiomatic) Classifier for beatings.


足

Characters in the same phonetic series (足) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) of a leg; the pictogram is similar to ⽦.
Uncertain. Compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ɟuŋ ~ *ɟuəŋ ~ *ɟəŋ (“leg, foot”), whence Mon ဇိုၚ် (cf. Schuessler, 2007).


這

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋrans): semantic 辶 (“walk”) + phonetic 言 (OC *ŋan).
The character was originally a verb meaning “to meet”, whose modern pronunciation is yàn. It was later borrowed for the proximal demonstrative “this/here”, by a confusion in medieval handwriting with 遮 (zhē, “this”).
First attested in the Tang dynasty; etymology unclear. Proposed etymologies:
* From 者 (OC *tjaːʔ, “one which”) (Lü, 1985). Wang (1990) notes that 者 always occurs after what is referred to, where as 這 always before.
*: 者 (OC *tjaːʔ, “one which”) > 者 (MC tsyaeX, “this (possessive case)”) > 者 (MC tsyaeX, “this (general demonstrative)”) > Mandarin 這／这 (zhè).
* From 之 (OC *tjɯ, “this; it”) (Wang, 1990). Norman (1988) notes that this derivation would be phonologically problematic.

ltc-l

这
遮
者
只
拓
J
迓
邇
即
此
这
这

filler particle usually used when the speaker is tongue-tied.


邊

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (邊):
* → Japanese: 辺(へん) (hen)
* → Korean: 변(邊) (byeon)
* → Vietnamese: biên (邊)

desc

→ Vietnamese: bên (“side; edge; face; beside”)

→ Vietnamese: ven (“shore; bank; side”)

Originally 臱. Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mpeːn): phonetic 臱 (OC *men) + semantic 辶 (“walking;movement”). The semantic component 辵 (now 辶) was added during bronze inscriptions.
Perhaps cognate with 偏 (OC *pʰen, *pʰens, “side; oblique”), 片 (OC *pʰeːns, “partial; one-sided”), 諞 (OC *ben, *brenʔ, *benʔ, “glib-tongued; insincere”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Based on Old Vietnamese data, Gong (2019) proposes the additional preinitial *tə- to the Baxter-Sagart reconstruction.
; “to have hot pot”

och-l

gam¹ jat⁶ gam³ dung³, bat¹ jyu⁴ bin¹ bin¹ keoi⁵ laa¹!

今日咁凍，不如邊邊佢啦！

今日咁冻，不如边边佢啦！

(Hong Kong Cantonese, usually reduplicated, always used with 佢) to have hot pot


鈉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njobs): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 內 (OC *nuːbs).
Borrowed from New Latin natrium. Ultimately from Egyptian nṯrj: R9


辛

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (辛):
* → Japanese: 辛(しん) (shin)
* → Korean: 신(辛) (sin)
* → Vietnamese: tân (辛)

→ Zhuang: sin

Smith (2011) proposes that the name for the heavenly stem is based on the Boötes constellation, which resembles an awl; it may be related to Etymology 1 with the “sharp” semantics connecting the two.


銜

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡraːm): semantic 行 + phonetic 金 (OC *krɯm).

Han compound

衔
䘖
衘
*啣
㘅
𠼫
㗸
𠷢
𠾑
𭊷
咁
嗛


醫

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (醫):
* → Japanese: 医(い) (i)
* → Korean: 의(醫) (ui)
* → Vietnamese: y (醫)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qɯ): phonetic 殹 (OC *qiːs) + semantic 酉 (“liquor”).
Alternatively, as an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 殹 (“to groan”) + 酉 (“liquor”) – using medicinal liquor to treat a groaning patient.
Schuessler (2007) minimally reconstructs Old Chinese *ʔə and suggests it is cognate with Proto-Hlai *ja¹ (“medicine”), Proto-Kam-Sui *gja² (“medicine; to cure”), Proto-Tai *ˀjɯəᴬ (“medicine”).

cog

冇得醫

冇得医

You fake sickness; I'll give you the cure.

「假病，老子給你醫！」

「假病，老子给你医！」


釵

/t͡sʰaːi̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰaːi̯⁵⁵/


鉤

魚鉤／鱼钩

将个袋挂喺个钩度 [Cantonese, simp.]
zoeng¹ go³ doi⁶⁻² gwaa³ hai² go³ ngau¹ dou⁶ [Jyutping]

Here is one who steals a hook (for his girdle) - he is put to death for it: here is another who steals a state - he becomes its prince. But it is at the gates of the princes that we find benevolence and righteousness (most strongly) professed - is not this stealing benevolence and righteousness, sageness and wisdom?

Zhuangzi, circa 3ʳᵈ – 2ⁿᵈ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Bǐ qiè gōu zhě zhū, qiè guó zhě wèi zhūhóu, zhūhóu zhī mén, ér rén yì cún yān, zé shì fēi qiè rén yì shèng zhì yé?

彼竊鉤者誅，竊國者為諸侯，諸侯之門，而仁義存焉，則是非竊仁義聖知邪？

彼窃钩者诛，窃国者为诸侯，诸侯之门，而仁义存焉，则是非窃仁义圣知邪？


遮

/t͡siɛ³³⁻³³⁵/

/t͡siɛ³³⁻³³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjaː): semantic 辶 (“road”) + phonetic 庶 (OC *hljaɡs, “numerous”)
; “umbrella”

Han compound

𨖥
庶
這
這
者
即
則
迹
這
者
隻
呰

收起把遮

(Cantonese, Hakka) umbrella; parasol (Classifier: 把 c; 支 h)


醬

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (醬):
* → Japanese: 醤(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 장(醬) (jang)
* → Vietnamese: tương (醬)

→ Tocharian B: tsyāṅk (“sauce”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsaŋs): phonetic 將 (OC *ʔsaŋ, *ʔsaŋs) + semantic 酉 (“drink”).
Possibly from 漿 (OC *[ts]aŋ) with *-s suffix (cf. Baxter and Sagart's (2014) reconstruction).

Han compound

奶醬多／奶酱多 [Cantonese] ― naai⁵ zoeng³ do¹ [Jyutping] ― condensed milk and peanut butter toast


遺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lul, *luls): semantic 辶 (“move”) + phonetic 貴 (OC *kluds).

Han compound

遗
𨗮
𨗭
𨖽
𨗔
𧸃
𧸯
𧸽

something lost; lost articles; lost property


鋁

→ Zhuang: lij

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 呂.
Borrowed from New Latin aluminium.


采

/t͡sʰaɪ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰaɪ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯³⁵/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意). Two forms can be found in oracle bone script:
# 爪 (“hand”) + 果 (“fruit”) – a hand (爪) picking fruits from a tree (果 (guǒ)).
# 爪 (“hand”) + 木 (“tree”) – a hand (爪) picking from a tree (木 (mù)).
The current glyph is of composition 2.
Uncertain. Several etymologies have been proposed:
* From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsa-n (“child; grandchild; nephew; niece”), whence Tibetan བཙའ (btsa', “to fruit, bear, bring forth”), བཙས (btsas, “to harvest, to reap”), possibly as well as 才 (OC *zlɯː, *zlɯːs), 子 (OC *ʔslɯʔ) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007);
* Related to Tibetan ཚོད་མ (tshod ma, “vegetables”) (Schuessler, 2007);
* Related to 穡 (OC *s.rək, “to reap; harvest”) (Baxter, 1992; Sagart, 1999; Baxter and Sagart, 2014).

cog

beautiful in words but poor in content; using colorful language to cover up flaws


鈹

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰral): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 皮.
From New Latin beryllium.


銷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sew): semantic 金 + phonetic 肖 (OC *slew, *slews).


醋

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰaːɡs): semantic 酉 + phonetic 昔 (OC *sjaːɡ).


銃

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (銃):
* → Japanese: 銃(じゅう) (jū)
* → Korean: 총(銃) (chong)
* → Vietnamese: súng (銃)

→ Zhuang: cungq (“gun”)

/t͡sʰøyŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰøyŋ²¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰjuŋs): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 充 (OC *l̥ʰjuŋ).

Han compound

(Eastern Min, Southern Min, Puxian Min, Taiwanese Hakka) gun; firearm (Classifier: 支 mn)


鉸

→ Proto-Mien: *ʔglji̯euB (“scissors”)

→ Vietnamese: kéo (“scissors”)

→ Zhuang: geuz (“scissors”)

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯³³/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯³³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kreːw, *kreːwʔ, *kreːws): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 交 (OC *kreːw).


酷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰuːɡ): semantic 酉 (“alcoholic drink vessel”) + phonetic 告 (OC *kuːɡs, *kuːɡ).

Han compound

殘酷／残酷


銘

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *meːŋ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 名 (OC *meŋ, “name”) – to engrave in metal.

Han compound

銘記

铭记

刻骨銘心

刻骨铭心


錄

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *roɡ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 彔 (OC *b·roːɡ).


鍊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡ·reːns): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 柬 (OC *kreːnʔ).


鍾

钟
锺
*鐘
鈡
螤
𦉂

Alternative form of 鐘／钟 (zhōng, “percussion musical instrument; bell”)

鐘

Zhong Hui (military general and politician of Cao Wei)

鍾會

锺会

鍾南山

钟南山


釘

Characters in the same phonetic series (丁) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *teːŋ, *teːŋs): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ).
Some theorize that 丁 (OC *teːŋ) originally meant “nail”. After subsequently losing this original meaning, the character 釘／钉 was created to represent “nail” with the semantic element 金 (“metal”) added.
Related to 定 (OC *teːŋs, *deːŋs) (Baxter and Sagart, 2014). Pronunciation 2 is a denominal verb derivation of pronunciation 1.
; “to die”

Han compound

1993, “雞翼歌”, 林夕 [Albert Leung] (lyrics), spoken by Ning's envoy (朱鐵和), 唐伯虎點秋香 [Flirting Scholar]:

daan⁶ hai⁶ nei⁵ lou⁵ mou⁵⁻² gong² nei⁵ zau⁶ faai³ deng¹

但係你老母講你就快釘

但系你老母讲你就快钉


鏟

/t͡sʰiɛn⁵⁵⁴/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁵⁵⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sŋ̊ʰreːnʔ, *sŋ̊ʰraːns): semantic 金 + phonetic 產 (OC *sŋreːnʔ).

Han compound

铲
剷
𨪑
𨲨
𩮲
𠚿
𱐙

剷咗個app

铲咗个app

(Hong Kong Cantonese) to delete (data on a computer or other device)


部

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *boːʔ, *boːʔ, *boːʔ, *boːʔ): phonetic 咅 (OC *pʰɯʔ, *pʰl'oːs) + semantic 邑.

Han compound

(historical) An administrative division governed by a ministry.

我想去看一部電影。

我想去看一部电影。

Classifier for works of literature, films, machines (cars, telephones...), etc. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


郎

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (郎):
* → Japanese: 郎(ろう) (rō)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *raːŋ): phonetic 良 (OC *raŋ) + semantic 邑 (“county; town”).
STEDT compares it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b/m-laŋ (“penis; male; husband”), including Burmese လင် (lang, “husband”) as a descendant.
However, Zev Handel considers comparison to this root to be improbable since the meaning of "husband; young man" is not attested in early texts. These senses seem to develop from "an official's title", which was a metonymic extension of "veranda or corridor (of a palace or mansion)" (later written as 廊) (Schuessler, 2007). Schuessler (2007) suggests that the Burmese word is a loan from Chinese.

inh

(archaic) A term of address used by women for their husband or lover: darling; love

(archaic) A term of address used by servants for their master: sir; master

A term of address for a poor, lowly person.


鐲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rdoːɡ, *zroːɡ, *djoɡ): semantic 金 + phonetic 蜀 (OC *djoɡ).

Han compound

See also: 鋜, 釧

手鐲

手镯


錘

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰɵy̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰɵy̯²¹⁻³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *dol, *dols, *du): semantic 金 + phonetic 垂 (OC *djol).

Han compound

锤
*鎚
捶
𨭇
𨪼
𨫻


連

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 辶 (“to walk”) + 車 (“chariot”) – man-drawn carriage.
According to Duan Yucai, 聯／联 (lián) and 連 are two characters for a same word, with the former used in the Zhou dynasty and the latter in the Han dynasty.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-rjan (“equal; to place in a row; to align; row”); related to 聯 (OC *ɡ·ron) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007).

inh

He is no better than an animal, because he doesn't even support his own parents.

Tā lián xùshēng dōu bùrú, lián zìjǐ de fùmǔ dōu bù yǎnghuó.

他連畜生都不如，連自己的父母都不養活。

他连畜生都不如，连自己的父母都不养活。

Shènzhì lián háizǐ dōu kàn dé dǒng zhè běn shū.

甚至連孩子都看得懂這本書。

甚至连孩子都看得懂这本书。

連…都/也… 連……都……#Chinese

(used in the 連…都/也… structures for emphasis) even; paradoxically

He thought that life in a company made up of new recruits would be filled with exciting maneuvers, but he did not expect it to be a monotonous routine with boring training content.

Tā yǐwèi xīnbīng lián dōu shì “dāo guāng jiàn yǐng” “wǔ qiāng nòng bàng” de shēnghuó, méi xiǎngdào què shì sāndiǎnyīxiàn de gùdìng shēnghuó móshì hé kūzào fáwèi de xùnliàn nèiróng.

他以為新兵連都是“刀光劍影”“舞槍弄棒”的生活，沒想到卻是三點一線的固定生活模式和枯燥乏味的訓練內容。

他以为新兵连都是“刀光剑影”“舞枪弄棒”的生活，没想到却是三点一线的固定生活模式和枯燥乏味的训练内容。

(military) company (consisting of platoons (排) and forming part of a battalion (營))

(grammar) Short for 連詞／连词 (liáncí, “conjunction”).


錦

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *krɯmʔ): phonetic 金 (OC *krɯm) + semantic 帛.

Han compound

brocade; tapestry; polychrome woven silk.


過

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (過):
* → Japanese: 過(か) (ka)
* → Korean: 과(過) (gwa)
* → Vietnamese: quá (過, “too; to exceed”), qua (過, “to cross; through; across”)

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *KʷajH (“to cross”)

White Hmong: dhau

→ Proto-Tai: *kwaːᴮ (“to cross over”)

Lao: ກວ່າ (kuā, “than; more than”)

desc

Shan: ၵႂႃႇ (kwàa, “go; work, run (as an engine)”)

Thai: กว่า (gwàa, “than; more than; over; go; overflow; pass”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kloːl, *kloːls): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 咼 (OC *kʰʷroːl).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-ka-j (“to go, to stride”) (STEDT). Related to 跨 (OC *kʰʷraː, *kʰʷraːʔ, *kʰʷraːs, *kʰʷaːs, “to pass over”) and 騎 (OC *ɡral, *ɡrals, “to ride”).

och-l

ngo⁵ seng⁴ jat⁶ dou¹ wui⁵ haang⁴ gwo³ ni¹ gaan¹ si⁶ do¹.

我成日都會行過呢間士多。

我成日都会行过呢间士多。

verbal complement
indicating passing by; over; by


鋤

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zra): semantic 金 + phonetic 助 (OC *zras).


鋼

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klaːŋ, *klaːŋs): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 岡 (OC *klaːŋ).
Along with 剛 (OC *klaːŋ, “hard, firm, stiff”), derived from the terminative of 固 (OC *kaːs, “firm, solid, hard”), literally "having become solid, hard" (Schuessler, 2007).
For the identity of the unknown preinitial *C reconstructed by Baxter & Sagart (2014), compare the pre-syllable *t- of Proto-Vietic *t-kaːŋ, its reflex.


鑊

→ Arabic: وُوك (wūk)

→ Armenian: վոկ (vok)

→⇒ Czech: pánev wok

→ Danish: wok

→ Dutch: wok

→ English: wok

→ Esperanto: uoko

→ Faroese: vokk

→⇒ Finnish: wokkipannu

→ French: wok

→ German: Wok

→⇒ Icelandic: wok-panna

→ Irish: wok

→ Polish: wok

→ Portuguese: wok

→ Russian: вок (vok)

→ Scottish Gaelic: wok

→ Spanish: wok

→⇒ Swedish: wokpanna

→ Welsh: woc

→ Vietnamese: vạc

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷaːɡ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 蒦 ().

Han compound

He got a serious scolding from his boss.

keoi⁵ bei² bo¹ si⁶⁻² naau⁶ zo² wok⁶ gam¹ ge³.

佢畀波士鬧咗鑊甘嘅。

佢畀波士闹咗镬甘嘅。

鑊鑊都咁杰。

镬镬都咁杰。

(Cantonese) Classifier for occurrences of problems, conflicts, fights, etc.: time


轉

/ʈ͡ʂu̯än²¹⁴/

/ʈ͡ʂu̯än²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tonʔ, *tons): semantic 車 (“carriage”) + phonetic 專 (OC *tjon).
Possibly related to:
* Old Tibetan འདྲུལ ('drul, “to transmit; to communicate”) (Schuessler, 2007), or
* Tibetan སྲུལ (srul, “to move to and fro; to stir”), Burmese ရွေ့ (rwe., “to move; to be displaced”), ရွှေ့ (hrwe., “to move or shift something”) (Starostin).
An allofam is perhaps *don (“round”). Compare Vietnamese tròn (“round; circle; entire; whole”), trọn (“fully; completely; all”), as well as the following Chinese words:
* 團 (OC *doːn, “ball; circle; lump”),
* 摶 (OC *doːn, *doːn, *donʔ, “to roll up into a ball”).
Derivative: 傳 (OC *tons, *don, *dons, “to relay; to pass on; to transfer; relay station; biography; record”).

och-l

转
返
转
转
转
撙
捘

轉來

转来

轉去

转去

(Southwestern Mandarin, dialectal Cantonese, Hakka, Min, Wu) to return; to come or go back


鋸

→ Vietnamese: cưa

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kas): semantic 金 + phonetic 居 (OC *kɯ, *kas).


鍵

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡran, *ɡranʔ, *ɡanʔ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 建 (OC *kans) – a metal key.

Han compound

(computing) key (value that uniquely identifies an entry in a container)


通

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰoːŋ): semantic 辶 + phonetic 甬 (OC *loŋʔ).

Han compound

……通「國」

……通「国」

(of Chinese characters) to be etymologically related to and carry a similar meaning to

腿通 [Cantonese] ― teoi² tung¹ [Jyutping] ― macaroni with ham

一通電報／一通电报

(literary) Classifier for phone calls, letters, telegrams, etc..


酸

→? Proto-Hmong-Mien: *suj (“sour”)

/ɬᵘɔn³³⁻³³⁵/

/ɬᵘɔn³³⁻³³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sloːn): semantic 酉 + phonetic 夋 (OC *sʰlun).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *suːr ~ *swaːr (“sour; be acid”) (STEDT). Cognate with Mizo thûr (“acid; sour”).


鏽

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɯwɢs): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 肅 (OC *sɯwɢ).
Related to 鏉 (OC *srus) (Wang, 1982).

Han compound

to rust; to get rusty; to corrode; to oxidise


鉛

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lon): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 㕣 (OC *lon) – a kind of metal.
Most varieties have a pronunciation derived from a velar initial.
* Schuessler (2007) see it a re-etymologization towards 掔 (MC khean|khen, “solid; hard”).
* Per Liu (2022), it is from Wu, in which the character 鉛／铅 is used to denote an etymon meaning "tinplate" with this velar pronunciation. As for further etymology, Liu suggested it an Indo-European-sourced borrowing, cf. English can (“metal container”).


鄉

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 𠨍 (“two people facing each other”) + 皀 (“a round-mouthed food vessel”) – to feast; the original script of 饗 (OC *qʰaŋʔ). The sense "village" was a result of phonetic borrowing or semantic shifting.
In early writing, the character was virtually indistinguishable from 卿 (OC *kʰraŋ). Semantically, 卿 (OC *kʰraŋ, “elder; leader”) and 鄉 (OC *qʰaŋ, “community; district; village”), likely cognates too, were both represented by the event depicted in the ideogram – 饗 (OC *qʰaŋʔ, “ritual feasting”), which was central to the community life (Yang, 1965).
The right half is unrelated to 郎, as 良 in 鄉 was derived from 皀 during the formation of the clerical script.


鏈

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ren, *rens, *r̥ʰen): semantic 金 + phonetic 連 (OC *ren).
From 連 (MC ljen).


銑

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɯːnʔ): semantic 釒 + phonetic 先 (OC *sɯːn, *sɯːns).
Compare Tibetan གསེར (gser, “gold”) (Hill, 2019).


鐃

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rŋaːw): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 堯 (OC *ŋeːw).


鍋

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kloːl): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 咼 (OC *kʰʷroːl).
Area word; compare Proto-Palaungic *kʔɔɔl (“cooking pot”), Malay kuali (“cooking pot”) (Schuessler, 2007).
For the sense “blame; fault”, it is a clipping of 黑鍋／黑锅 (hēiguō).

Han compound

Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE

Huí dào xiāngjīchú xià kàn shí, guō yě méi le, zàotóu dōu tā sǔn.

回到香積廚下看時，鍋也沒了，灶頭都塌損。

回到香积厨下看时，锅也没了，灶头都塌损。

cooking pot; pan; wok (Classifier: 隻／只; 口)

我的鍋

我的锅

to deflect blame; to deny responsibility

甩鍋

甩锅

(Mainland China, neologism) blame; fault


銅

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (銅):
* → Japanese: 銅(どう) (dō)
* → Korean: 동(銅) (dong)
* → Vietnamese: đồng (銅, “copper; dong (Vietnamese currency)”) (see there for further descendants)

desc

→ Khmer: ទង់ (tŭəng, “bronze; red copper; alloy of copper and gold”), ថង (thɑɑng, “gold”), ទង (tɔɔng, “gold”)

→ Lao: ທອງ (thǭng, “copper; gold; metal”)

→ Thai: ทอง (tɔɔng, “gold”)

→ Zhuang: doengz (“copper; brass”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (同) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *doːŋ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 同 (OC *doːŋ).
Since metals are typically associated with color, the word is probably related to 彤 (OC *l'uːŋ, “red”) (Schuessler, 2007).
The word "copper" occurs in some Southeast Asian languages with initial l- (Sagart, 1999). Examples include Zhuang luengz, Bouyei luangz and Bu-Nao Bunu loŋ², which are early loans from Chinese.
Tibetan དོང་ཙེ (dong tse, “Chinese copper coin”) was borrowed from Chinese 銅子／铜子 (tóngzǐ).

zh-l

銅子／铜子 (tóngzǐ)


量

Characters in the same phonetic series (量) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Inconclusive. In the oracle bone and bronze scripts, the most common form was 日 (“sun”) + 東 (“bag; east”). Here are a few proposed interpretations as an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意):
* 日 was sometimes replaced with 田, so Qiu Xigui thinks that it may be the original character of 糧 (OC *raŋ, “grain field”).
* Yu Xingwu interprets it as measuring something under the sun.
* Guo Moruo interprets it as the sun rising in the east – original character of 亮 (OC *raŋs).
* Huang Dekuan suspects the 日 is actually 昜 (OC *laŋ) as the phonetic component.
Shuowen interprets this as a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *raŋ, *raŋs): phonetic 曏 (OC *qʰjaŋʔ, *qʰjaŋs, *qʰaŋʔ, *qʰaŋs) + 重 (“weight; heavy”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)raŋ (“to count, to measure”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). Cognate to Tibetan བགྲང (bgrang, “to count”), Khaling ʾkhran-ne, Burmese ခြင် (hkrang, “to measure capacity”), Nusu xɹɯ³¹ (“to count”).
Pronunciation 2 is possibly a *-s suffixed exopassive derivation of Pronunciation 1; thus it means "what is measured → a measure" and is cognate to Tibetan གྲངས (grangs, “number”) (see also Unger (1983))


閆

From the cursive script form of 閻. 闫 was adopted as the simplified form of 閻 in the second round of simplified Chinese characters.
From 閻. After the retraction of the second round of simplification in Mainland China, some people have continued to use 闫 as their surname, but others have changed it to 阎, separating the two variants of the same surname into two different surnames.


錫

Characters in the same phonetic series (易) (Zhengzhang, 2003)


鐘

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (鐘):
* → Japanese: 鐘(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 종(鐘) (jong)

desctree

→ Middle Vietnamese: chuâng
Vietnamese: chuông

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjoŋ, *tjoŋ): semantic 金 + phonetic 童 (OC *doːŋ). It indicates a bell, including a bronze large bell used in rituals in ancient China.

Han compound

† - requires the classifier 個; ‡ - can be used with or without the classifier 個; § - requires the classifier 粒; * - requires the classifier 句; ¶ - requires the classifier 隻; × - cannot be used with a classifier

夠鐘／够钟 [Cantonese] ― gau³ zung¹ [Jyutping] ― it's time

揼波鐘／揼波钟 [Cantonese] ― dam⁶ bo¹ zung¹ [Jyutping] ― to stall for time


鎮

desc

→ Lü: ᦵᦈᦲᧃᧈ (ṫsoen¹)

→ Lü: ᦵᦈᦲᧃᧈ (ṫsoen¹)

→ Zhuang: cin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tin, *tins): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 真 (OC *ʔljin) – to press down on (with a metal weight).

Han compound

這個鎮建於1610年。

这个镇建于1610年。


鈴

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (鈴):
* → Japanese: 鈴(れい) (rei); 鈴(りん) (rin)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reːŋ): semantic 金 + phonetic 令 (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mriŋ (“sound; noise; animal cry”); cognate with 鳴 (OC *mreŋ, “to make a sound”), 笙 (OC *sreŋ), Burmese မြည် (mrany, “to make a sound”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).


閥

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bad): semantic 門 + phonetic 伐 (OC *bad).
Meaning "valve" is borrowed from English valve.


還

→ Thai: หวน (hǔuan)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷraːn, *sɢʷan): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 睘 (OC *ɡʷeŋ) – to go back; to return.
; “to return”
; "still; also"

即以其人之道，還治其人之身／即以其人之道，还治其人之身

jí yǐ qí rén zhī dào, huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn

還嘴

还嘴

還手

还手

還禮

还礼

還擊

还击

還價

还价

(literally) an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; tit for tat

以眼還眼，以牙還牙

以眼还眼，以牙还牙


遠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷanʔ, *ɢʷans): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 袁 (OC *ɢʷan).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-wəj-n (“far”) (STEDT). Cognate with Proto-Lolo-Burmese *wəj² (“far”), whence Burmese ဝေး (we:, “far”).

Han compound

在不遠的將來／在不远的将来

我家離大學很遠。

我家离大学很远。

兩者差遠了。

两者差远了。

論學識我遠不及他。

论学识我远不及他。

Tǎng yào “duìzhèng gǔběn”, zé “Shuǐhǔzhuàn” lǐ de yī jù “nà xuě zhèng xià de jǐn”, jiùshì jiējìn xiàndài de dàzhòngyǔ de shuōfǎ, bǐ “dàxuě fēnfēi” duō liǎng ge zì, dàn nà “shényùn” què hǎo dé yuǎn le.

倘要「對證古本」，則《水滸傳》裡的一句「那雪正下得緊」，就是接近現代的大眾語的說法，比「大雪紛飛」多兩個字，但那「神韻」卻好得遠了。

倘要「对证古本」，则《水浒传》里的一句「那雪正下得紧」，就是接近现代的大众语的说法，比「大雪纷飞」多两个字，但那「神韵」却好得远了。

(intensifier in a comparison) much; by far


遠

By attracting loyal servants and keeping the petty at a distance, the Former Han prospered.

227, 諸葛亮 (Zhūgě Liàng) (Zhuge Liang), 出師表

Qīn xiánchén, yuǎn xiǎorén, cǐ Xiānhàn suǒyǐ xīnglóng yě.

親賢臣，遠小人，此先漢所以興隆也。

亲贤臣，远小人，此先汉所以兴隆也。

to distance oneself from; to keep at a distance


阱

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɡeŋʔ, *sɡeŋs) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 阝 (“mound”) + phonetic 井 (OC *skeŋʔ, “well”).


陛

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *biːʔ): semantic 阝 + phonetic 坒 (OC *bis, *biɡ).

Han compound

陛下

(archaic) flight of steps; (specifically) steps leading to the throne in a palace


陌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mbraːɡ): semantic 阝 + phonetic 百 (OC *praːɡ).

Han compound

Coordinate term: 阡 (qiān)

(literary) footpath between fields going east to west


鋪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰaː, *pʰaːs, *pʰa): semantic 金 (“gold; metal”) + phonetic 甫 (OC *paʔ).


鐵

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (鐵):
* → Japanese: 鉄(てつ) (tetsu)
* → Korean: 철(鐵) (cheol)

→ Proto-Hmong: *ʰluwꟲ

→ Proto-Mien: *ʰrɛkᴰ

→ Proto-Tai: *ʰlekᴰ

Proto-Southwestern Tai: *ʰlekᴰ¹ˢ

Ahom: 𑜎𑜢𑜀𑜫 (lik)

Lao: ເຫຼັກ (lek)

Lü: ᦵᦜᧅ (l̇ek)

Shan: လဵၵ်း (láek)

Tai Nüa: ᥘᥥᥐᥱ (lěk)

Thai: เหล็ก (lèk)

Nong Zhuang: liak

Zhuang: lek, lik

→ Proto-Vietic: *k-rac

Middle Vietnamese: sắt

Vietnamese: sắt

Muong: khách

→ Zhuang: diet

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰiːɡ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 𢧤 (). The original version, according to the Shuowen Jiezi, is 𨮯, with 大 on top, hence the original phonetic component should be not 𢧜.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *hljak (“iron”). Cognate with Tibetan ལྕགས (lcags). According to the Shuowen, alternative forms included 銕 (OC *l'iːl, *l̥ʰiːd). Compare 驖 (OC *l̥ʰiːɡ, *l'iːɡ, “black horse”).

Han compound

铁
𨬿
鐡
𨮯
𨫓
銕
鉄
䥫
*鋨

地鐵／地铁

港鐵／港铁 [Cantonese] ― gong² tit³ [Jyutping] ― MTR

(only in compounds) Short for 鐵路／铁路 (tiělù, “railway”).


錢

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (錢):
* → Japanese: 銭(せん) (sen, “mace”)
* → Korean: 전(錢) (jeon, “mace”)
* → Vietnamese: tiền (錢, “money”)

→ English: Qian, Chien, Tsien, Chin

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *dzi̯en (“money”)

→ Thai: สิน (sǐn, “money”)

→ Malay: ci (“mace”)

→ Mongolian: цэн (cen)

→ Zhuang: cienz (“money; coin; mace”)

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑɻ³⁵/

/t͡sʰiːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/tʰen²²⁻²²⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑɻ³⁵/

/t͡sʰiːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/tʰen²²⁻²²⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔslenʔ, *zlen): semantic 金 (“metal; gold; money”) + phonetic 戔 (OC *zlaːn).

Han compound

mace (unit of weight equivalent to one tenth of a 兩／两 (liǎng, “tael”) and equal to ten 分 (fēn, “candareen”))


閱

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lod): semantic 門 + phonetic 兌 (OC *l'oːds).


陝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hljemʔ): semantic 阜 + phonetic 㚒 ().

Han compound

the Shan Pass in Shanzhou, Henan (through which the Yellow River flows into the North China Plain)


閻

閻錫山

阎锡山


閏

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 門 (“gate”) + 王 (“king”). The original meaning “intercalary” is derived from kings' ancient practice of remaining within the palace gates on a leap day (which was in excess of the lunar calendar's 364 days, whence the meanings “remainder” and “surplus”), not engaging in their usual governing functions.

(literary) deputy; illegitimate; usurped


里

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (里):
* → Japanese: 里(り) (ri)
* → Korean: 리(里) (ri)
* → Vietnamese: lý (里)

English: li

Characters in the same phonetic series (里) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 田 (“field”) + 土 (“soil; earth”) – a measure of land and fields; mile; place.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r/g-wa (“village”) (STEDT). Cognate with 丘 (OC *kʰʷɯ) "hill, mound" & 街 (OC *kreː, *kreː) "road crossing, street"; outsides Sinitic, cognate with Mizo khua (“village”), Lai khûa (“village, cosmos”), Burmese ရွာ (rwa, “village”); Schuessler (2007) also proposes cognacy with Tibetan ར་བ (ra ba, “fence, enclosure, wall, pen”) by pointing to a semantic parallel between English town and German Zaun (“fence”).
Alternatively, possibly related to 理 (lǐ) "to divide into equal sections", yet Schuessler also noted that early Chinese villages were not systematically planned and platted.

cog

公里

li (a unit of distance equal to half a kilometre in modern Mainland China)


適

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjeɡ, *hljeɡ, *teːɡ): semantic 辶 + phonetic 啻 (OC *hljeɡs).

Han compound

by chance; as it happens; as luck would have it

The so-called democratic system in modern states is usually monopolized by the bourgeoisie and has become simply an instrument for oppressing the common people.

1924, 孫中山 (Sun Yat-sen), 《中國國民黨第一次全國代表大會宣言》 (Manifesto of the First National Congress of the Kuomintang), translation based on https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-2/mswv2_26.htm

Jìnshì gèguó suǒwèi mínquán zhìdù, wǎngwǎng wéi zīchǎnjiējí suǒ zhuānyǒu, shì chéngwéi yāpò píngmín zhī gōngjù.

近世各國所謂民權制度，往往為資產階級所專有，適成為壓迫平民之工具。

近世各国所谓民权制度，往往为资产阶级所专有，适成为压迫平民之工具。


達

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰaːd, *daːd): semantic 辶 + phonetic 羍 (OC *tʰaːd).
Note that inner component is not 幸 – these are not related, and there is an extra stroke in 達 (two horizontal strokes at the bottom, not one).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dat (“live; alive”). Cognate with Tibetan སྡོད (sdod, “to stay; to sit; to live”) and Proto-Lolo-Burmese *dat (“alive”).

阿胡拉·馬茲達

Āhúlā Mǎzīdá

阿胡拉·马兹达

Āhúlā Mǎzīdá


閒

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 門 (“door”) + 月 (“moon”) – moonlight peeking through a door – interstice; space (original character of 間).
Karlgren (1957) and Baxter (1992) connect this word with 間 (OC *kreːn, “interstice time”).
Alternatively, Pulleyblank (1973) suggests that it is cognate with 暇 (OC *ɡraːs, “to be at leisure”).
Schuessler (2007) considers this unrelated to 間 (OC *kreːn, *kreːns), and instead proposes that this is borrowed from Tai languages, akin to Thai คร้าน (kráan, “lazy; indolent”). 懶 (OC *raːnʔ, “lazy”) may be a colloquial reflex of the same word (ibid.).


闊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰoːd): semantic 門 (“gate; door”) + phonetic 活 (OC *koːd, *ɡoːd)

Han compound

闊步

阔步

廣闊

广阔


陪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bɯː): semantic 阜 (“soil mountain”) + phonetic 咅 (OC *pʰɯʔ, *pʰl'oːs)
The 阜 suggests, by extension from the meaning of “pile up soil”, to join up with, to be close to: to accompany.

Han compound

He kept me company while I visited mum in hospital.

Zài wǒ qù yīyuàn tànwàng māma shí, tā yīzhí péizhe wǒ.

在我去醫院探望媽媽時，他一直陪著我。

在我去医院探望妈妈时，他一直陪着我。

keep someone company
keep someone company

to keep someone company; to accompany; to go with


閩

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mrɯn, *mɯn): phonetic 門 (OC *mɯːn) + semantic 虫 (“snake”). The 虫 radical was a common component of the names of barbarians (Schuessler, 2007), probably reflecting the Min people's worship of snakes (Li, 2017).
Matisoff (2003) relates it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-b/m-ruːl (“snake”), but this comparison is no longer held in STEDT.
In most modern Min dialects and some other southern dialects (including Hakka and Xiang), it is read with a level tone (平聲), which is the expected reflex based on rime dictionaries. In Mandarin and the remaining southern dialects, it is read with a rising tone (上聲), probably due to analogy with the phonetic component of 閔 (MC minX) (Li, 2017).

Han compound

(historical) Min people (ancient ethnic group)

(～江) Min River (a river in Fujian, China)


都

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (都):
* → Japanese: 都(と) (to)
* → Korean: 도(都) (do)
* → Vietnamese: đô (都)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *taː): phonetic 者 (OC *tjaːʔ) + semantic 邑 (“town, city”).

Han compound

Where emperors and kings make to be the capital is taken as the centre, hence the appellation the central region.

Liu Xi (劉熈), quoted in 5th century, 《史記集解》Records of the Grand Historian - Collected Explanations by Pei Yin (裴駰)

Dìwáng suǒdōu wèi zhōng, gù yuē zhōngguó.

帝王所都為中，故曰中國。

帝王所都为中，故曰中国。

(literary) to make a place the capital city; to establish a capital


針

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (針):
* → Korean: 침(針) (chim)
* → Vietnamese: châm (針)

→ Bouyei: jiml (“needle”)

→ Proto-Mien: *simᴬ (“needle”)

desctree

→ Proto-Tai: *qemᴬ (“needle”)
Northern Tai
Nong Zhuang: chaem
Tai Do: hểm
Zhuang: caemz
Central Tai
Tày: khêm
Southwestern Tai
Thai: เข็ม (kěm)
Lao: ເຂັມ (khem)
Lü: ᦃᦲᧄ (ẋiim)
Tai Dam: ꪹꪄꪸꪣ
Shan: ၶဵမ် (khǎem)
Tai Nüa: ᥑᥥᥛᥴ (xém), ᥔᥥᥛᥴ (sém)
Ahom: 𑜁𑜢𑜉𑜫 (khim)

→ Proto-Vietic: *kiːm

Middle Vietnamese: kim
Vietnamese: kim

Muong: kim

→ Vietnamese: găm

→ Zhuang: cim (“needle”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kjum, *kjums): semantic 釒 (“metal”) + phonetic 十 (OC *ɡjub).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k-ra(p/m) (“needle”); compare Tibetan ཁབ (khab), Burmese အပ် (ap) (STEDT; Hill, 2017). See also 簪 (OC *ʔsɯːm, *ʔsrɯm, “hairpin”), 譖 (OC *ʔsrums, “to accuse, slander”) (STEDT).

Han compound

alt. forms: 箴 (zhēn)

(countable) needle (Classifier: 根 m; 枚 m; 枝 c mn; 眼 c)

打針／打针

防疫針／防疫针

流感針／流感针 [Cantonese] ― lau⁴ gam² zam¹ [Jyutping] ― flu shot

荷爾蒙針／荷尔蒙针 [Cantonese] ― ho⁶ ji⁵ mung⁴ zam¹ [Jyutping] ― hormone injection

(Cantonese) spy; informer; probe (Classifier: 條／条 c)

Classifier for the number of injections.


雍

Variant form of 雝. It's likely that the phonetic component 邕 (OC *qoŋ) corrupted into 玄 at some point since their shapes looked similar in pre-Qin scripts.


鐳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ruːl): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 雷 (OC *ruːl).
Borrowed from English radium.


陷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡroːms) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 阜 (“row of hills”) + phonetic 臽 (OC *kʰloːmʔ, *ɡroːms, “person falling into trap”).
Originally written 臽.

Han compound

to breach; to break through; to make a breakthrough


隸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rɯːds): phonetic 柰 (OC *naːds) + semantic 隶 (“arrest”).

Han compound

隸書

隶书


附

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bos): semantic 阝 + phonetic 付 (OC *pos).


野

(literary or Eastern Min, Xiamen and Quanzhou Hokkien, Wu) very; quite


靂

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reːɡ): semantic 雨 + phonetic 歷 (OC *reːɡ).


霄

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sew): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 肖 (OC *slew, *slews).

Han compound

Alternative form of 消 (xiāo, “to dissolve”)


閣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klaːɡ): semantic 門 (“gate”) + phonetic 各 (OC *klaːɡ).

Han compound

阁
阁
擱
佫
故
復
過
更
果
固
各
卻
革
阁
𡁤
咯


霹

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰeːɡ): semantic 雨 + phonetic 辟 (OC *peɡ, *pʰeɡ, *beɡ).


錯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰaːɡs, *sʰaːɡ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 昔 (OC *sjaːɡ) – grindstone.
; "whetstone, grindstone"
; "criss-cross, interlocking, alternating, ornate"
; "lake"
; "cerium"

Han compound

(chemistry, obsolete) Alternative name for 鈰／铈 (shì, “cerium”).


際

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsleds): semantic 阝 + phonetic 祭 (OC *ʔsreːds, *ʔsleds).
Related to 接 (OC *ʔseb, “to connect, contact”); see there for more (STEDT).


隨

→ English: Sui

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ljol): semantic 辵 (“walking”) + abbreviated phonetic 𡐦

Han compound

17th hexagram of the I Ching; "following"


階

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (階):
* → Japanese: 階(かい) (kai)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kriːl): semantic 阝 + phonetic 皆 (OC *kriːl).

Han compound

官階

官阶

進階中文課

进阶中文课

(figurative) rank; degree; level; seniority; order of precedence


韆

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/


鎖

→ Zhuang: suj

via Old Chinese:

→ Burmese: သော့ (sau.)

→ Mon: သအ်

→ Khmer: សោ (sao)

→ Shan: သေႃး (sáu)

→ Khün: ᨪᩳ

→ Lü: ᦌᦸ (soa)

→⇒ Middle Korean: 솨줄〮 (swàcwúl)

→ Old Uyghur: 𐽻𐽳𐽰 (sua)

⇒ Old Uyghur: 𐽻𐽳𐽰𐾁𐽰𐽹𐽰𐽷 (suala-)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *soːlʔ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 𧴪 ().

Han compound

鎖門

锁门

這輛車沒有鎖。

这辆车没有锁。


需

In bronze inscriptions, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): a person (天) under the rain (雨) – "to wait until the rain is over; to get wet", original character of 濡. The component 天 corrupted into 而 during the Han dynasty.


隆

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡ·ruːŋ): phonetic 降 (OC *kruːŋs, *ɡruːŋ) + semantic 生, with 𡕒 later dropped.
; "eminent; high"
; "thunder"

Han compound

𤯲
𨹠
𨹿
𨺓
𨺚
𨺼
𨻦
𨼇

隆新高鐵

隆新高铁

(Malaysia, Singapore) Short for 吉隆坡 (Jílóngpō).

Used in transcription.
Short for 吉隆坡 (Jílóngpō).


防

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *baŋ, *baŋs): semantic 阝 + phonetic 方 (OC *paŋ, *baŋ).

Han compound

防癌

You must guard against people like this.

這種人不得不防。

这种人不得不防。


鞦

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

(in compounds or dialectal) swing (hanging seat)


邪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ljaː, *laː): phonetic 牙 (OC *ŋraː) + semantic 邑 (“town; city”).
The semantic component suggests that this character was originally used in a place name, which Shuowen suggests to be 琅邪. It was later borrowed for other meanings, the most prominent being “wrong; evil” (originally written as 衺).

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 邪 (MC yae)


雜

/tap̚³²⁻³²⁵/

/tap̚³²⁻³²⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zuːb): semantic 衣 + phonetic 集 (OC *zub) with an original reference to a combination of various colours put together, perhaps linked to dyed clothes. A more comprehensible variant is 襍.
Cognate with 集 (OC *zub, “to gather; to collect”) (Schuessler, 2007). Note similarities to Burmese သုပ် (sup, “to mix ingredients”).

cog

ni¹ gei² tiu⁴ gaai¹ je⁶ maan⁵ hou² zaap⁶.

呢幾條街夜晚好雜。

呢几条街夜晚好杂。

(Cantonese, of a place) having all kinds of people, especially bad people


陣

Derivation from 敶, itself derived from an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 東 (“sack?”) + 東 + 攴; later, one 東 was abbreviated, and a 阜 added on the left.

Han compound

一陣雨

一阵雨

Classifier for short periods of an event: spell; burst; gust ⇒ all nouns using this classifier

短陣車款／短阵车款 [Cantonese] ― dyun² zan⁶ ce¹ fun² [Jyutping] ― short wheelbase car model


靠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰuːɡs): phonetic 告 (OC *kuːɡs, *kuːɡ) + semantic 非.
Compare perhaps Burmese ခု (hku., “to prop up, be filling”).


霍

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 雨 (“rain”) + 隹 (“bird”)
Probably related to 曜 (OC *lewɢs, “to shine; daylight”); see there for more (STEDT).

Han compound

Huo Qubing (Chinese military general in the Western Han dynasty)

霍去病


靴

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hʷa): semantic 革 (“leather”) + phonetic 化 (OC *hŋʷraːls).

Han compound

鞾
𩎁
韡
𩍇
𡲲
㞜
𩋖
𩋾
𩍍


霰

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sjar (“hail; sleet”); compare Tibetan སེར (ser, “hail”), Western Tamang सेर (“hail”) (STEDT; Hill, 2014; Schuessler, 2024).

inh

䨘
䨷
𩄧
𩆥
𩅤
𩃝
𩃂
𩆵


隊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'uːds): semantic 阜 + phonetic 㒸 ().

Han compound

少年先鋒隊 少年先鋒隊#Chinese

少年先锋队 少年先锋队#Chinese

Short for 少年先鋒隊／少年先锋队 (shàonián xiānfēngduì, “Young Pioneers of China”).


險

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (險):
* → Vietnamese: hiểm (險)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰramʔ): semantic 阝 + phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam).
May be cognate with 巖 (OC *ŋraːm, “tall; cliff”). See 嚴 for more.

Han compound

壽險

寿险

(in compounds) Short for 保險／保险 (bǎoxiǎn, “insurance”).


靨

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qeb): phonetic 厭 (OC *qemʔ, *qems, *qeb) + semantic 面 (“face”).


靜

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zleŋʔ): semantic 青 + phonetic 爭 (OC *ʔsreːŋ).
Perhaps from Mon-Khmer; compare Old Khmer siṅ (“to stay in/at; to abide; to be still”) (Schuessler, 2007). 靖 (OC *zleŋʔ) is the same word (ibid.).


銀

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (銀):
* → Japanese: 銀(ぎん) (gin)
* → Okinawan: 銀(じん) (jin)
* → Korean: 은(銀) (eun)
* → Vietnamese: ngân (銀)

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *ɲʷi̯ən (“silver”)

White Hmong: nyiaj (“silver, money”)

→ Lao: ເງິນ (ngœn, “silver, money”)

→ Thai: เงิน (ngən, “silver, money”)

desc

→ Vietnamese: ngần (“silvery white; very white”)

→ Zhuang: ngaenz (“silver, money”)

/ᵑɡan²²⁻²²⁵/

/ᵑɡan²²⁻²²⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋrɯn): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋul ~ (d-)ŋur. Cognate with Tibetan དངུལ (dngul), Burmese ငွေ (ngwe).


韌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njɯns): semantic 韋 + phonetic 刃 (OC *njɯns).


顳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njeb): phonetic 聶 (OC *neb) + semantic 頁.

Han compound

(anatomy) Only used in 顳顬／颞颥 (nièrú, “temple; temporal bone”); also used as its short form.


陵

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rɯŋ): semantic 阜 (“mound”) + phonetic 夌 (OC *rɯŋ, “mound; hill”). Originally written 夌.
; "mound; hill; gravemound of an emperor"
; "to mount; to transgress; to encroach upon"

Han compound

royal or imperial tomb (generally restricted to the tombs of emperors, empresses and empress dowagers, but also used as an honorific for the tomb of Sun Yat-sen, the first president of China)


閂

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 門 (“gate”) + 一 (“crossbar”) ― a crossbar over a gate; sealing it closed.
Compare 關.
Related to 關 (OC *kroːn) (Zhengzhang, 2003).

閂風扇／闩风扇 [Cantonese] ― saan¹ fung¹ sin³ [Jyutping] ― to turn off the fan


韭

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯əu̯⁴¹/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯əu̯⁴¹/

Pictogram (象形) – leek in the ground (一). Unrelated to 非.

Allium tuberosum
Allium tuberosum#Translingual

garlic chives; Chinese chives; Chinese leek (Allium tuberosum)


關

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (關):
* → Japanese: 関(かん) (kan)
* → Korean: 관(關) (gwan)
* → Vietnamese: quan (關)

→ English: Guan, Kwan

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kroːn): semantic 門 (“door”) + phonetic 𢇅 () – to stop the door from opening with a wooden stick.
The bronze inscription was in the form of 門 (“door”) + 卝 (“door closed”). 卝 might also serve as a phonetic component.
Compare Proto-Southwestern Tai *klɔːnᴬ² (“latch of door; rafter”), whence Thai กลอน (glɔɔn) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

关
関
𨶚
𢇅
𬮦
闗
閞

關窗子／关窗子

他在聖誕節時關了店鋪。

他在圣诞节时关了店铺。

海關／海关 ― hǎiguān ― customs (literally, "maritime checkpoint")

過關／过关

to break through a pass; to go through border control

居庸關

居庸关

frontier pass; border control; checkpoint (controlled passage)

關東／关东

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

(traditional Chinese medicine) Short for 關上／关上 (guānshàng, “guan, a pulse position on the wrist”).


雁

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (雁):
* → Japanese: 雁(がん) (gan)
* → Vietnamese: nhạn (雁)

→ Vietnamese: ngan (鴳)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋraːns): phonetic 厂 (OC *hŋaːnʔ, *hŋaːns) + semantic 人 + semantic 隹.
Ultimately from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋa-n (“goose”) (tentatively reconstructed); cognate with Tibetan ངང་པ (ngang pa), Burmese ငန်း (ngan:).
Related to 鵝 (OC *ŋaːl, “domestic goose”); both 鵝 and 雁 likely reflect an earlier liquid final (Schuessler, 2007; cf. Baxter and Sagart's reconstruction). Alternatively, it may derive from 鵝 with nominalizing suffix *-n, but this Chinese-internal derivation is problematic in light of the cognates in Tibeto-Burman (Schuessler, 2007; Alves, 2015b); but see Hill (2019) also, as noted in the etymology of 鵝.
Possible relationship with Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰh₂éns (“goose”) has been noted by some (Mayrhofer, 1976; Alves, 2015b).

Han compound

domesticated goose
w:en:domesticated goose

wild goose (as opposed to a domesticated goose – 鵝／鹅 (é)) (Classifier: 隻／只 m c)

Gùrén xǐ, mìng shùzǐ shā yàn ér pēng zhī.

故人喜，命豎子殺雁而烹之。

故人喜，命竖子杀雁而烹之。

^† Alternative form of 贗／赝 (yàn, “fake; false”)


韶

(～州) (historical) Shao (a former prefecture of Guangdong, China)


雹

⇒ Zhuang: lwgbag

/tʰɔk̚³²⁻²¹/

/tʰɔk̚³²⁻²¹/

Characters in the same phonetic series (勹) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bruːɡ): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 包 (OC *pruː).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-bru(ŋ/k) (“dragon; thunder”), whence also 龍 (OC *b·roŋ, *mroːŋ, “dragon”) (STEDT).


霸

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 革 (“change”) + 月 (“moon”) – changes in moonlight.
Bronze inscriptions added 雨 to make 䨣 a phonetic component.
Exoactive or transitive of 伯 (OC *praːɡ, “be the eldest”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

*覇
𧈉
𧟲
𧟳
𩄤
𣍸

The principle followed by the Three Kings and the Five Hegemons was no other than that of giving titles and emoluments, and the reason that people emulated each other in merit was because the principles which they followed were clear.

The Book of Lord Shang, circa 3ʳᵈ century BCE, translated based on J.J.L. Duyvendak's version

Sānwáng wǔbà, qí suǒ dào bùguò juélù, ér gōng xiàng wàn zhě, qí suǒ dào míng yě.

三王五霸，其所道不過爵祿，而功相萬者，其所道明也。

三王五霸，其所道不过爵禄，而功相万者，其所道明也。


閃

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 門 (“gate”) + 人 (“person”) — a person running through a gate.
Possibly iterative devoicing of 燄 (OC *lamʔ, “to be flaming up”) (Schuessler, 2007).

打閃

打闪


韋

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 舛 + 囗 – footsteps around an enclosure. Possibly the original character for 圍 (OC *ɢʷɯl, *ɢʷɯls, “to surround”). Phonetically borrowed to indicate "tanned leather".
The footprint on top is stylized as 𫝀, which is similar but unrelated to 五.

Wei Changhui (North King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom)

韋昌輝

韦昌辉


重

Characters in the same phonetic series (重) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *doŋ, *doŋʔ, *doŋs) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 人 (“man”) + phonetic 東 (OC *toːŋ, “bag”) – a man carrying a bag. A glyph 土 (“earth”) was later added to show that the bag-carrying man is standing on the ground. From this composition (𡍺) is the current form. In the modern form, the man on top can be seen as 亻 (however, the upper part of the character is unrelated to 千).
See also 以, in which a person is carrying something, and 年, in which a person is carrying the harvest.
Schuessler (2007) notes that the etymology is uncertain and compares the word to Burmese စုံ (cum, “to be sufficient; pair”), which STEDT puts under Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dzum ~ tsum (“pair”).
Pronunciation 3 is the exoactive derivation of pronunciation 1.

inh

重罰／重罚

傷勢很重／伤势很重

奶味重了些。


重

重任

隆重

莊重／庄重

重義輕利／重义轻利

to value righteousness and care little for material gain

Their traditional customs are integrity and decency; the people are good-natured and do not chatter idly, seriously respecting Buddhist law, and nothing is killed in the region.

Tang Dynasty, Fan Chuo, Manshu, chapter 10, part 2

Súshàng liánchǐ, rénxìng héshàn shǎo yán, zhòng fófǎ, yù zhōng bìng wú zǎishā.

俗尚廉恥，人性和善少言，重佛法，域中並無宰殺。

俗尚廉耻，人性和善少言，重佛法，域中并无宰杀。


重

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

多重人格障礙

多重人格障碍

Liǎng'àn yuán shēng tí bùzhù, qīngzhōu yǐ guò wàn chóng shān.

兩岸猿聲啼不住，輕舟已過萬重山。

两岸猿声啼不住，轻舟已过万重山。


頑

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋroːn, *ŋroːn): phonetic 元 (OC *ŋon, “head”) + semantic 頁 (“head”).
As 元 came to be used to mean “original”, rather than “head”, this character was formed from the original meaning of 元 (“head”) + the semantic element 頁／页 to affirm the “head” meaning, but with the modification in meaning to “an intransigent head”; the head of a heady person.

Han compound

頑抗

顽抗

頑強

顽强


頻

Originally 瀕, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): a person 頁 near the water's edge 涉, extended to mean "on the verge". The water component 氵 was removed to distinguish its usage for "frequent".
Perhaps from a Proto-Sino-Tibetan *phi-r/n/s (“late, behind, after, outside”) (STEDT root #5883). See 比 (OC *piʔ, *pis, *bi, *bis, *biɡ, “to compare, match, follow”) for more cognates.

och-l

(physics) Short for 頻率／频率 (pínlǜ, “frequency”).


頗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰaːl, *pʰaːlʔ, *pʰaːls): phonetic 皮 (OC *bral) + semantic 頁.


除

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'a, *l'as): semantic 阜 + phonetic 余 (OC *la).

Han compound

除衫 [Cantonese] ― ceoi⁴ saam¹ [Jyutping] ― to undress (literally, “to take off clothes”)

除鞋 [Cantonese] ― ceoi⁴ haai⁴ [Jyutping] ― to take off shoes

Please always wear the mask, and moderate your conversation in the whole ride.

daap³ sing⁴ dei⁶ tit³ gwo³ cing⁴ zung¹, ceng² nei⁵ cyun⁴ cing⁴ pui³ daai³ hau² zaau³, m⁴ hou² ceoi⁴ dai¹, ce¹ soeng¹ noi⁶ gaam² siu² gaau¹ taam⁴.

搭乘地鐵過程中，請你全程佩戴口罩，唔好除低，車廂內減少交談。

搭乘地铁过程中，请你全程佩戴口罩，唔好除低，车厢内减少交谈。

(Cantonese) to take off (clothes or accessories); to peel off; to strip


鞋

→ Zhuang: haiz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡreː, *ɡreː, *ɡreː): semantic 革 (“leather”) + phonetic 圭 (OC *kʷeː) – leather shoes. Originally written as 鞵.
Originally, the phonetic component is not related to the concept of earth (土) since in its original form it represents a pair of ritual axes perhaps made of jade 士. Hence, the link to the concept of earth in this character either comes from folk etymology or its appearence in the Small Seal script.

Han compound

一雙鞋

一双鞋

Put on your shoes. Let's go out for dinner.

Chuān shàng nǐ de xié, wǒmen chūqù chī wǎnfàn.

穿上你的鞋，我們出去吃晚飯。

穿上你的鞋，我们出去吃晚饭。

在這裡我必須脫鞋嗎？

在这里我必须脱鞋吗？

shoe; footwear (Classifier: 雙／双 m mn; 對／对 c; 隻／只)


降

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (降):
* → Vietnamese: giáng (降)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kruːŋs, *ɡruːŋ) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 阝 (“hill, wall”) + phonetic 夅 (OC *ɡruːŋ, “to descend”) – descending a hill.

Han compound

夅
𨹓
𡲣
𡲛
夅
𨹓
𡲣
𡲛
𫱔

降落

to fall; to drop; to descend; to come down


顎

Proto-Tai: *ʰŋɯəkᴰ (“gum; gill”)

desc

Proto-Southwestern Tai: *ʰŋɯəkᴰ (“gum; gill”)

Thai: เหงือก (ngʉ̀ʉak, “gum; gill”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋaːɡ): phonetic 咢 (OC *ŋaːɡ) + semantic 頁.


鞭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pen): semantic 革 (“leather”) + phonetic 便 (OC *ben, *bens).

Han compound

皮鞭

鋼鞭

钢鞭

(historical) an ancient type of weapon, segmented and made of iron

鞭炮


頒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *praːn, *bɯn): phonetic 分 (OC *pɯn, *bɯns) + semantic 頁 (“head”).


雅

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (雅):
* → Japanese: 雅(が) (ga)
* → Korean: 아(雅) (a)
* → Vietnamese: nhã (雅)


雌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰe): phonetic 此 (OC *sʰeʔ) + semantic 隹.

Han compound

Among birds, males are yang and females are yin; ….

Qí zài niǎo zé xióng wèi yáng cí wéi yīn;.......

其在鳥則雄為陽雌為陰；……。

其在鸟则雄为阳雌为阴；……。

(formal) female (describing animals and plants)


集

/t͡saːp̚²⁻³⁵/

/t͡saːp̚²⁻³⁵/

Pictogram (象形) – a bird (隹 (zhuī)) in the tree (木 (mù)).
The variant 雧 (jí) shows three birds instead.
Cognate with 雜 (OC *zuːb, “mixed”) (Karlgren, 1956). Compare Khmer ជួប (cuəp, “to meet”) (Schuessler, 2007).


預

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *las): phonetic 予 (OC *la, *laʔ) + semantic 頁.


餒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *nuːlʔ): semantic 食 + phonetic 妥 (OC *n̥ʰoːlʔ).

Han compound

凍餒

冻馁


院

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɦŋoːn, *ɦŋons): semantic 阝 + phonetic 完 (OC *ɦŋoːn).


頌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɢloŋs, *loŋ): phonetic 公 (OC *kloːŋ) + semantic 頁 (“head”) – appearance. Now written 容.

Han compound

to laud; to acclaim; to praise; to extol


靈

Characters in the same phonetic series (霝) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Found as 𩆜 in Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reːŋ): phonetic 霝 (OC *reːŋ) + semantic 玉 (“jade”).
The semantic component 玉 (“jade”) may be replaced with 巫 (“witch”), as in the current form, or with 心 (“heart”) or 示 (“memorial tablet”) in the ancient bronze inscription forms.

Han compound

灵
𫻝
𬰑
𫲚
𬋣
㚑
霊
霛
䨩
𠳄
𡀓
𢩙
𢩝
𤫊
𤴤
龗
𧈀
𧨈
𫕞
𩂊
𩂳
𩃏
𩆇
𩆈
𩄀
𩃗
𩃞
𩄇
𩅶
𢩙
𢩝
𢩗
𩆕
𩆜
𩆮
𩇎


雖

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sqʰʷi): semantic 虫 + phonetic 唯 (OC *ɢʷi, *ɢʷiʔ).
Originally meaning "a lizard-like reptile", the character has been phonetically borrowed to represent the sense "although".
Jacques (2019) proposes this to be 維 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”) with a converbial *s- prefix, literally "while being".

Han compound

虽
𨿽
𧈧
𨾡
虽
𧐌
𨾡
虽
虽

A sparrow may be small, but it has all its vital organs. (proverb)

麻雀雖小，五臟俱全

麻雀虽小，五脏俱全

Though Zhou is an ancient nation, our mandate is new as ever.

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

周雖舊邦，其命維新

周虽旧邦，其命维新

Yet I will not regret, in spite of countless deaths.

The Verses of Chu, 4ᵗʰ century BCE – 2ⁿᵈ century CE

雖九死其猶未悔。

虽九死其犹未悔。

Wherever yi exists, even in death there are no regrets.

The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

義之所在，雖死無所恨。

义之所在，虽死无所恨。

By your side, although the road is long, I am still not tired

zoi⁶ nei⁵ san¹ bin¹ lou⁶ seoi¹ jyun⁵ mei⁶ pei⁴ gyun⁶

在你身邊路雖遠未疲倦

在你身边路虽远未疲倦

God made us not the same, but we're together to sing a song of love. [official translation]
Although you and I are not the same, we will sing as we go towards the direction of blessings. [literal translation]

2008, 游智婷 [Sandy Yu] (lyricist), 《我們愛（讓世界不一樣）》 [We Will Love (We Can Make a Difference)]

Suī nǐwǒ bùyīyàng, wǒmen yīlù chàng, zǒu wǎng zhùfú de fāngxiàng.

雖你我不一樣，我們一路唱，走往祝福的方向。

虽你我不一样，我们一路唱，走往祝福的方向。


須

Pictogram (象形): 彡 (“hair”) + 頁 (“head”) – a head with hair on its side – beard; whiskers — original character of 鬚 (OC *so). Originally a single picture, but abstracted in the seal script into a compound.
; “to wait”

须
湏
⿰⿱分巾頁*
⿰⿱分立頁*
⿰⿱分豆頁*


霧

→ Proto-Tai: *ʰmoːkᴰ

Proto-Southwestern Tai: *ʰmɔːkᴰᴸ¹

Thai: หมอก (mɔ̀ɔk)

→ Proto-Vietic: *k-mɔːk

Vietnamese: móc

Phong: kʰmɔːk⁸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *moɡs, *moːŋ): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 務 (OC *moɡs).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *muːŋ ~ r/s-muːk (“foggy; dark; sullen; menacing; thunder”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007) or its allofam *r-məw (“sky; heavens; clouds”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Tibetan རྨུ་བ (rmu ba, “fog”), རྨུགས་པ (rmugs pa, “dense fog”), Burmese မြူ (mru, “minute particle; haze; fog”).

cog

雾
雺
霚
霿
雾
潕
𫝞
雾

(Internet slang) A particle placed at the end of a sentence to indicate that the poster is joking. (used with parentheses)


顱

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *b·raː): phonetic 盧 (OC *b·raː) + semantic 頁 (“head”).


饋

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡruls): semantic 食 + phonetic 貴 (OC *kluds).


飪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njɯmʔ): semantic 食 (“food”) + phonetic 壬 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋʔ, *njɯm).

Han compound

饪
餁
䏕
恁
㶵
𤇲
𤏼
𦜙
䭃


陽

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (陽):
* → Japanese: 陽(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 양(陽) (yang)
* → Vietnamese: dương (陽)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *laŋ) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 阜 (“hill”) + phonetic 昜 (OC *laŋ, “sunshine”) – sun shining on a hill.
Either Sino-Tibetan or a Mainland Southeast Asian (MSEA) Wanderwort; compare Burmese လင်း (lang:, “bright”), Lepcha ᰣᰦᰜᰩᰵ (a-lóṅ, “reflective light”), Thai ปลั่ง (bplàng, “bright; shiny”) (Schuessler, 2007).
STEDT provisionally sets up Proto-Kuki-Chin *klaaŋ-I, klaan-II (“shine; light; bright”) and compares it to the following:
* 陽 (OC *laŋ, “sunshine”)
* 景 (OC *kraŋʔ, “bright; scenery”)
* 鏡 (OC *kraŋs, “mirror”)
* 亮 (OC *raŋs, “bright”)
* 章 (OC *kjaŋ, “brilliant, splendid; rule; emblem; display (v.)”)

och-l

阳
𣆄
氜
阦
𨹈
𥌖
𨼗
𨼘
𨼡
𨽐
羊

陽物

阳物

陽痿

阳痿

陽了

阳了

to have recovered from COVID-19 (a pun of Yang Guo, a character in Jin Yong's novels)

陽過

阳过

to be tested positive for COVID-19 again

二陽

二阳

(neologism) to be tested positive for COVID-19

positive
to be tested positive for COVID-19

(Chinese phonetics, of a syllable) closed with a nasal consonantal coda

洛陽

洛阳

south side of mountain or north side of river


鑿

Sino-Xenic (鑿):
* → Vietnamese: tạc (鑿)

/t͡sɔːk̚²⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰak̚¹²¹/

/t͡sɔːk̚²⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰak̚¹²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsoːwɢ, *zoːwɢ, *zoːwɢ, *zoːwɢ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 𥽿 ().

Han compound

凿
丵
𣫞
𣪲
䥣
𨰒
𦦹
𣫩
𨖐
⿱作金


饑

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kɯl): semantic 食 + phonetic 幾 (OC *kɯl, *kɯlʔ, *ɡɯl, *ɡɯls).

Han compound

“Formerly, when there was a famine in Zhou, they overcame Yin [Shang] and the harvest became abundant.

Commentary of Zuo, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translation from Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" (2017), by Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li and David Schaberg

昔周饑，克殷而年豐。

昔周饥，克殷而年丰。

crop failure; famine; a year in which harvest is poor


雙

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (雙):
* → Japanese: 双(そう) (sō)
* → Korean: 쌍(雙) (ssang)
* → Vietnamese: song (雙)

→ Proto-Mien: *suŋᴬ (“pair”)

→ Proto-Tai: *soːŋᴬ (“two”)

Bouyei: soongl

Proto-Southwestern Tai: *sɔːŋᴬ

Ahom: 𑜏𑜨𑜂𑜫 (soṅ)

Lao: ສອງ (sǭng)

Lü: ᦉᦸᧂ (ṡoang)

Northern Thai: ᩈᩬᨦ

Shan: သွင် (sǎung)

Tai Dam: ꪎꪮꪉ

Tai Nüa: ᥔᥩᥒᥴ (sóang)

Thai: สอง (sɔ̌ɔng)

Zhuang: song

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 雔 (“two birds”) + 又 (“hand”) – Represents two birds (隹) in someone's right hand (又).
Several etymologies have been posited:
* From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dzum ~ tsum (“pair”), whence Jingpho zum (“to be in pairs”), Burmese စုံ (cum, “pair”), but this comparison may be problematic given the mismatch in the final nasal (STEDT).
* Related to Tibetan ཟུང (zung, “pair; couple”), Mru [script needed] (choŋ, “pair”) (Coblin, 1986; Löffler, 1966; Schuessler, 2007), but this would require assuming the Proto-Sino-Tibetan word to be *C-zuŋ (Schuessler, 2007). Jacques (2015b) rules out the possibility of comparing with the Tibetan word because Tibetan z- comes from *dz.
* Doublet of 孿 (OC *smroːns, *smrons, “twin”) (Baxter, 1992), but this has been related to Jingpho marun (“to have twins”) (from run (“to be in pairs”)), which would point to yet another Proto-Sino-Tibetan root *run (Schuessler, 2007).

inh

双
㕠
䨇
䨥
𩀝
𩆿
𩀱


金

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (金):
* → Japanese: 金(きん) (kin)
* → Korean: 금(金) (geum), 김(金) (gim)
* → Vietnamese: kim (金)

→ Bouyei: jiml (“gold”)

→ Lao: ຄຳ (kham, “gold”)

→ Thai: คำ (kam, “gold”)

→ Zhuang: gim (“gold”)

→ Tagalog: ginto (“gold”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (金) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *krɯm): semantic 士 (“upside-down ritual axe perhaps made of precious materials”) + semantic 丷 (“two blocks of metal”) + phonetic 亼. The semantic component in folk etymology is very often misinterpreted as 王. The minerals, originally drawn as : and then as 丷, are sometimes indicated as 呂, however the latter is the pictogram of two vertebrae.
The upper component 亼 is the ancient form for 今 (OC *krɯm) and it represents an open mouth flipped upside down; it indicates the original pronunciation of the whole character.
Shuowen interprets it as an image of metal in the earth (Xu Shen writes "象金在土中形") with 亼 as phonetic. But the most ancient versions do not contain the pictogram of the earth.
Originally referred to copper, first used during the Copper Age and the Jade Age in China (hence before the Bronze Age, during which the first bronzes were produced); later the meaning was extended to metal as a whole, and then to gold.
Starostin reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gǝ̆m (“metal”); compare Tedim Chin xam (“gold”) and Lepcha ᰀᰩᰮ (kóm, “silver, coin, money”).
“Copper” [prior to 5th BCE] → “metals in general” → “gold”.
The main senses now are “gold” and “metal”.
Some of the Manchu people with this surname are descendants of the Qing imperial family and is a calque of Manchu ᠠᡳᠰᡳᠨ (aisin, “gold”) in their original surname ᠠᡳᠰᡳᠨ
ᡤᡳᠣᡵᠣ (aisin gioro).

defdate

prior to 5th <small class='ce-date'>BCE</small>

𠊍
𨤾
⿳仺𭕄一
𠈘
𠉓
𨥀
𨥄
⿱丿⿴囗⿱二水

one of the eight kinds of instruments (八音 (-))

metal, one of the five elements of Wu Xing (五行 (-))

(～朝, ～國) (historical) Synonym of 後金／后金 (Hòujīn), the Jurchen Later Jin state (1616–1636)


道

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (道):
* → Japanese: 道(どう) (dō)
* → Korean: 도(道) (do)
* → Vietnamese: đạo (道)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'uːʔ): semantic 辵 (“walking”) + phonetic 首 (OC *hljuʔ, *hljus).
Possibly derived from 導 (OC *duːs, “to go along, to bring along, to conduct”):
* > "to explain" > "to talk about", and
* > "road, way".
Possibly cognate with Proto-Hmong-Mien *kləuX (“road, way”) (White Hmong kev (“road”)). See also 首 (OC *hljuʔ, *hljus).

och-l

噵
衜
衟
𡬹
𨔞
𨕐
𨕥
𨖁
𨗓

The Way that can be told is not the constant Way. The name that can be named is not the constant name.

Dào kě dào, fēi cháng dào. Míng kě míng, fēi cháng míng.

道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。

(philosophy, Taoism) the Way; the Tao; the Dao: the way of nature and/or the ideal way to live one's life


阮

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (阮):
* → Vietnamese: Nguyễn (阮)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋon, *ŋonʔ): semantic 阝 + phonetic 元 (OC *ŋon).
; “ruan (musical instrument)”

Han compound

Ruan Ji (one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove)

阮籍

(historical) state of Ruan (a small state during the Shang Dynasty)

ruan (a Chinese long-necked fretted round-bodied plucked lute)


飾

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hljɯɡ): phonetic 飤 (OC *ljɯɡs) + semantic 巾 (“cloth”).
The 人 has changed shape into 𠂉.

Han compound

61st tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "embellishment" (𝍂)


顯

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 日 (“sun”) + 絲 (“silk”) + 頁 (“person's head”).


韻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷɯns): semantic 音 + phonetic 員 (OC *ɢon, *ɢun).

Han compound

(linguistics) rhyme group (in a rime dictionary)


雄

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (雄):
* → Japanese: 雄(ゆう) (yū)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷɯŋ): phonetic 厷 (OC *kʷɯːŋ) + semantic 隹.
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gaŋ (“penis, male”) (STEDT), cognate with Karbi chò-kàng (“penis”), Garo ri-gong (“penis”), Lepcha ᰠᰫᰵᰃᰦᰵ (sun̊-gan̊, “penis”), Pattani gàŋ mì (“male”).
However, Zev Handel doubts the Old Chinese word's cognate status, as "OC labialized initial plus schwa vocalism would normally correspond to a rounded vowel in PTB".

Han compound

雄虎

雄蕊

其在鳥則雄為陽雌為陰；……。

其在鸟则雄为阳雌为阴；……。

雄兵

雄壯

雄壮

英雄

戰國七雄

战国七雄

alt. forms: 兇／凶 (xiōng)


霜

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (霜):
* → Vietnamese: sương (霜)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sraŋ): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 相 (OC *slaŋ, *slaŋs).
From 涼 (OC *ɡ·raŋ) with an s- (nominalizer) prefix (Schuessler, 2007).


陳

desc

→ English: Chen, Ch'en, Chan, Chun, Chin, Tan, Tang

Cao Wei
Chen dynasty
Eastern Han dynasty
Eastern Wei
Eastern Wu
Eastern Zhou dynasty
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Han dynasty
Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
Jin dynasty (265–420)
Liang dynasty
Liao dynasty
Liu Song dynasty
Ming dynasty
Northern Qi
Northern Wei
Northern Zhou
Northern and Southern dynasties
Qin dynasty
Qing dynasty
Shang dynasty
Shu Han
Song dynasty
Southern Qi
Southern and Northern dynasties
Spring and Autumn period
Sui dynasty
Tang dynasty
Three Kingdoms
Warring States period
Western Han dynasty
Western Liao
Western Wei
Western Xia
Western Zhou dynasty
Xia dynasty
Xin dynasty
Yuan dynasty
Zhou dynasty

(～國) (historical) state of Chen (vassal state during the Zhou dynasty)

(～朝) (historical) Chen dynasty (557–589), the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period

Chen Zi'ang (Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty)

陳子昂

陈子昂

Chen Shui-bian (President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), 2000-2008)

陳水扁

陈水扁

a surname, listed tenth in the Baijiaxing: Chen, Chan, Chun, Chin, Tan


革

Characters in the same phonetic series (革) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a stretched animal hide: the upper is head, the bottom is the tail and legs. The hands 臼 around the hide were briefly added later.
Compare 皮 (pí), which also features a hide.
Appears to be related to 殼 (OC *kʰroːɡ, “shell, husk”); see there for more (STEDT).


飄

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰew, *bew): phonetic 票 (OC *pʰew) + semantic 風 (“wind”).


飢

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kril): semantic 食 + phonetic 几 (OC *krilʔ).

Han compound

Alternative form of 饑／饥 (“crop failure; famine”)


雞

desc

→ Indonesian: ayam (“prostitute”) (semantic loan)

→ Malay: ayam (“prostitute”) (semantic loan)

desctree

→? Proto-Tai: *kajᴮ
Northern Tai
Bouyei: gais
Zhuang: gaeq
Saek: ไก
Central Tai
Tày: cáy
Southwestern Tai
Thai: ไก่ (gài)
Northern Thai: ᨠᩱ᩵
Lao: ໄກ່ (kai)
Lü: ᦺᦂᧈ (k̇ay¹)
Tai Dam: ꪼꪀ꪿
Shan: ၵႆႇ (kài)
Tai Nüa: ᥐᥭᥱ (kǎy)
Aiton: ကႝ (kay)
Phake: ကႝ (kay)
Ahom: 𑜀𑜩 (kay)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *keː): phonetic 奚 (OC *ɡeː) + semantic 隹 (“short-tailed bird”).
Onomatopoeic (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Proto-Vietic *r-kaa (> Vietnamese gà), Proto-Tai *kajᴮ (“chicken”), Proto-Hmong-Mien *Kəi.
* (to fire): From 無情雞／无情鸡 (mou⁴ cing⁴ gai¹, “pink slip”).

Han compound

My elder brother and my father are both born in the Year of the Rooster.

我哥哥和我爸爸都是屬雞的。

我哥哥和我爸爸都是属鸡的。

10th of the Chinese zodiac animals (rooster)


頁

Pictogram (象形): 首 + 卩 – head of a kneeling person, emphasising “head”.
頁 and 首 (OC *hljuʔ, *hljus) were originally the same pictographic character with the same meaning of “head”, and the graphical difference was that 頁 also included the body in addition to the head of the person.
頁 was later used as an alternative popular form of 葉 (“leaf; page”) to mean “sheet; page (of paper)”, which is its main meaning today.
The original sense of “head” is preserved in the radical 頁, which is used in characters such as 頭 (“head”) and 頸 (“neck”).
Alternative form of 葉／叶 (“leaf; sheet (of paper)”).


驐

(dated or dialectal) to castrate an animal


飼

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ljɯs): semantic 食 + phonetic 司 (OC *slɯ).
See 食.

Han compound

(Southern Min) to support (one's parents, elders, etc.)


阿

→ English: Ah

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qaːl): semantic 阜 + phonetic 可 (OC *kʰaːlʔ): Originally meaning a big mound.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ʔa(ŋ/k)- (noun prefix) (STEDT). Compare Burmese အ- (a.-, “idem”) (Schuessler, 2007, p. 149).
; “atto-”

阿胡拉·馬茲達

Āhúlā Mǎzīdá

阿胡拉·马兹达

Āhúlā Mǎzīdá

Alternative forms: (dated) 亞／亚, (Hong Kong Cantonese neologism) 牙

阿爸

阿扁

《阿Q正傳》

《阿Q正传》

A Zhen fell in love with A Qiang / One night under a starlit sky

2016, 仁科, 茂涛 (lyrics and music), 《阿珍爱上了阿强》, performed by 五条人

Ā Zhēn àishàng le Ā Qiáng / zài yīge yǒu xīngxīng de yèwǎn

阿珍愛上了阿強 / 在一個有星星的夜晚

阿珍爱上了阿强 / 在一个有星星的夜晚

Prefix used in front of the surname or last character of someone’s given name to express familiarity or friendliness (traditionally used in rural or southern Chinese dialects).


震

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjɯn): semantic 雨 + phonetic 辰 (OC *djɯn).
Related to 振 (OC *tjɯns, “to shake”), probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dar ~ d(u/i)r (“to tremble; to shiver”) (Schuessler, 2007).


電

→ Bouyei: dianq (“electricity”)

→ Lü: ᦶᦎᧃᧈ (ṫaen¹, “electricity”)

→ Tai Nüa: ᥖᥦᥢᥱ (tǎen, “electricity”)

→ Zhuang: den (“electricity”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'iːns): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 申 (OC *hlin); also ideogrammic (會意／会意): 雨 + 申 (“lightning”).
Sino-Tibetan or area word; compare Proto-Mien *liŋ (“lightning”), Chepang प्लीङ्हसा (pliŋh‑, “to flash; to shine brightly”) (Benedict, 1976; Schuessler, 2007).

cog

Short for 電話／电话 (diànhuà, “telephone; phone call”).

唁電

唁电

Telegram by Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, 1 January

新華社北京1月1日電

新华社北京1月1日电

Short for 電臺／电台 (diàntái, “broadcasting station; radio station”).


韓

→ English: Han, Hon

→ Zhuang: hanz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡaːn): phonetic 倝 (OC *kaːns) + semantic 韋 (“surround”).

Han compound

Lǐ Sī yīn shuì Qín wáng, qǐng xiān qǔ Hán yǐ kǒng tāguó, yúshì shǐ Sī xià Hán.

李斯因說秦王，請先取韓以恐他國，於是使斯下韓。

李斯因说秦王，请先取韩以恐他国，于是使斯下韩。

(～國) Han, an ancient Chinese state during the Warring States period of ancient China


餃

→ Lao: ກ້ຽວ (kiāu)

→ Thai: เกี๊ยว (gíao)

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 飠 (“food, eat”) + phonetic 交 (OC *kreːw) – a kind of food.
From 角 (jiǎo, “horn”), named for its horn-like shape (Norman, 1988).

餃子

饺子

水餃

水饺


靖

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zleŋʔ): semantic 立 (“to stand; to establish”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ).
Same word as 靜 (OC *zleŋʔ, “to keep quiet”) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for more.


馴

77th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "compliance" (𝍒)


餌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njɯs): semantic 食 (“to eat”) + phonetic 耳 (OC *njɯʔ).
An area word. Compare Khmer នុយ (nuy, “bait; lure (especially for catching fish)”), Thai เหยื่อ (yʉ̀ʉa, “bait”) (Schuelsser, 2007).


顧

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷaːs): phonetic 雇 (OC *kʷaːs, *ɡʷaːʔ) + semantic 頁.

Han compound

He doesn't always consider others' feelings.

他總是不顧別人的感受。

他总是不顾别人的感受。


騾

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *roːl): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 累 (OC *ruːls, *rolʔ, *rols). Written as 驘 in Shuowen.

Han compound

骡
*驘
*臝
䯁
𩦻
𩧣

Viscount Jian of Zhao had two white mules which he liked very much.

Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

Zhào Jiǎnzǐ yǒu liǎng bái luó ér shèn ài zhī.

趙簡子有兩白騾而甚愛之。

赵简子有两白骡而甚爱之。

mule (offspring of a donkey and a horse, sometimes specifically the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse) (Classifier: 匹 m; 頭／头 m; 隻／只 mn)


鏡

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (鏡):
* → Japanese: 鏡(きょう) (kyō)
* → Korean: 경(鏡) (gyeong)
* → Vietnamese: kính (鏡)

→ Vietnamese: gương

→ Zhuang: gingq

/kiaŋ³³⁻³³⁵/

/kiaŋ³³⁻³³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraŋs): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 竟 (OC *kraŋs).
Probably cognate with 景 (OC *kraŋʔ, “bright”), 影 (OC *qraŋʔ, “shadow”) (Wang, 1982; Schuessler, 2007; Baxter and Sagart, 2014). Gong (2019) identifies the unknown preinitial *C in the reconstruction by Baxter and Sagart (2014) with *s based on evidence from Old Vietnamese, and further posits that it is an instrumental noun derived by prefixation of *s- to the verb 映 (OC *qraŋs, “to reflect”), which is itself a denominal derived from 影 (OC *qraŋʔ, “shadow; image”).
Alternatively, it may be derived from 亮 (OC *raŋs, “to shine”) with the nominalising *k- prefix (Schuessler, 2007; apud Baxter, p.c.).
STEDT compares 鏡, 景 and 亮, among others, to Proto-Kuki-Chin *klaaŋ-I, *klaan-II (“to shine; light; bright”).
This word is relatively late and is perhaps re-etymologized from the nearly identical earlier word 監 (OC *kraːms), 鑑 (OC *kraːms, “mirror”) (Schuessler, 2007), which Wang (1982) treats as cognate. Gong (2019) considers 鏡 to be an unrelated neologism replacing 鑑.

Han compound

(Cantonese) Short for 鏡頭／镜头 (jìngtóu, “camera lens”). (Classifier: 支 c)


駛

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *srɯʔ, *srɯs): semantic 馬 + phonetic 史 (OC *srɯʔ).

Han compound

(Cantonese) Alternative form of 使 (sai2, “to need to; to need”)


開

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (開):
* → Japanese: 開(かい) (kai)
* → Vietnamese: khai (開)

→ Lao: ໄຂ (khai, “open”)

→ Thai: ไข (kǎi, “open”)

→ Vietnamese: khơi

→ Zhuang: hai (“open”)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 門 (“door”) + 一 (“latch”) + 廾 (“a pair of hands”) — a pair of hands opening a latched door. 一 and 廾 are combined into 开 since the seal script.
Compare 闢.
According to STEDT, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-k(w)a-j (“mouth; opening; spread; door; face; jaw”). Cognate with 戶 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ, “door”), Tibetan ཁ (kha, “mouth”), Tibetan སྒོ (sgo, “door”).
The word is possibly a colloquial variant of 闓 (OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ, *ŋ̊ʰɯːls) (Schuessler, 2007). Proto-Mien *kʰu̯ɔiᴬ (“to open”) (whence Iu Mien kʰɔi¹) and Thai ไข (kǎi) are Chinese loans (Ratliff, 2010).

och-l

闓 (OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ, *ŋ̊ʰɯːls)

开
𫔭
䦐
𨴉
𨳩
𨴂
𨵹
𨶘
𨵑
开
K
开
开
嗨

花開了。

花开了。


饒

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (饒):
* → Vietnamese: nhiêu (饒)

→ Proto-Vietic: *ɲiew

Vietnamese: nhiều

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋjew, *ŋjaws): semantic 食 (“food”) + phonetic 堯 (OC *ŋeːw).

Han compound

請饒我一命吧！

请饶我一命吧！

to forgive; to have mercy on; to let off; to spare


頷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡɯːm, *ɡɯːmʔ): phonetic 含 (OC *ɡɯːm) + semantic 頁 (“head”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gam (“jaw; chin; molar”) (STEDT).
Bodman (1980) considers it to be the endoactive of 含 (OC *ɡɯːm, “to hold in the mouth”), literally “the thing that holds something in the mouth”.

liushu

OC *ɡɯːm, *ɡɯːmʔ

inh

頷首

颔首

Of the great officers who met him at the borders, he took the hands, and spoke with them. To those who met him [afterwards] on the road, he bowed, [saluting them with his hands]. To those [who were waiting] at the gate, he only nodded.

Commentary of Zuo, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Dàfū nì yú jìng zhě, zhí qí shǒu ér yǔ zhī yán, dào nì zhě, zì chē yī zhī, nì yú mén zhě, hàn zhī ér yǐ.

大夫逆於竟者，執其手而與之言，道逆者，自車揖之，逆於門者，頷之而已。

大夫逆于竟者，执其手而与之言，道逆者，自车揖之，逆于门者，颔之而已。

Jiàn qí fāshǐ shí zhòng bājiǔ, dàn wēi hàn zhī.

見其發矢十中八九，但微頷之。

见其发矢十中八九，但微颔之。


餓

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋaːls): semantic 食 + phonetic 我 (OC *ŋaːlʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mwat ~ *ŋ(w)at (“hungry; thirsty”). Cognate with Burmese မွတ် (mwat) and ငတ် (ngat) (STEDT).

inh

我餓了。

我饿了。

誰肚子餓？

谁肚子饿？


駐

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tos): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 主 (OC *tjoʔ). Cf. 住 (zhù), with the 人 radical replacing 馬.
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan, with *-s nominalization or stative suffix. 輟 (OC *tod) is a likely cognate via causative formation. (Jin, 2004)

Han compound

(of troops, diplomats) to be stationed; to be posted


雀

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sœːk̚³⁻³⁵/

/tiak̚²¹⁻²¹⁵/

/t͡sʰiɔk̚³²/

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sœːk̚³⁻³⁵/

/tiak̚²¹⁻²¹⁵/

/t͡sʰiɔk̚³²/

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 小 (“small”) + 隹 (“bird”) – a small bird, a sparrow.
In the current form, the upper part looks like 少, but what looks like the bottom stroke of 少 is actually the upper left stroke of 隹, extended.

Who can say the sparrow has no horn?
How else could it bore through my house?

誰謂雀無角，何以穿我屋。

谁谓雀无角，何以穿我屋。

Eurasian tree sparrow
Eurasian tree sparrow

Passer montanus
Passer montanus#Translingual

sparrow, especially the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus)


餞

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (餞):
* → Japanese: 餞(せん) (sen)
* → Vietnamese: tiễn (餞)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zlenʔ, *zlens): semantic 食 (“hand”) + phonetic 戔 (OC *zlaːn)

Han compound

to give a farewell party; to see off; to send off


駱

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡ·raːɡ): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 各 (OC *klaːɡ).

Han compound

(Zhao) Tuo consequently used his troops to menace the border-regions and used his wealth to bribe the Minyue, the West Ou, and the Luo into submission to him; [his territory spanned] over ten thousand li from east to west.

Tuó yīncǐ yǐ bīng wēi biān, cáiwù lùwèi Mǐnyuè, Xī'ōu, Luò, yìshǔ yān, dōngxī wàn yú lǐ.

佗因此以兵威邊，財物賂遺閩越、西甌、駱，役屬焉，東西萬餘里。

佗因此以兵威边，财物赂遗闽越、西瓯、骆，役属焉，东西万余里。


骿

(Cantonese) ribs, particularly in reference to back ribs


隱

Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qɯnʔ, *qɯns): semantic 阜 + phonetic 㥯 ().
Note a resemblance to Burmese အောင်း (aung:, “to hide, hibernate”).

cog

隐
隠
𨼆
𤔌
𠃊
乚
𠃑

facts one wishes to hide; feelings or troubles one wishes to keep to oneself; secret


騙

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰens): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 扁 (OC *pʰen, *benʔ, *peːnʔ, *beːnʔ) – to mount a horse by swinging a leg across it.
; to swindle; to deceive


髻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kiːds): semantic 髟 (“long hair”) + phonetic 吉 (OC *klid).
From 結 (OC *kiːd, “to tie”) + exopassive nominal suffix *-s, literally “something tied” (Baxter and Sagart, 1997, 2014; Schuessler, 2007).


驢

→ Vietnamese: lừa

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *b·ra): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 盧 (OC *b·raː).

Han compound

donkey; ass (Classifier: 頭／头 m; 條／条 m; 匹 m; 隻／只 c mn)


非

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (非):
* → Japanese: 非(ひ) (hi)
* → Korean: 비(非) (bi)
* → Vietnamese: phi (非)

Characters in the same phonetic series (非) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) - two wings facing opposite directions. Originally, it represented wings; then, according to Xu Shen, its meaning changed into "leave; disobey" (違). Eventually, it was used perhaps as a phonetic loan to mean "not to be".
Unrelated to the Kangxi radical 韭.
非 (OC *pɯj) is the fusion of the negation particle 不 (OC *pɯ, *pɯʔ, *pɯ', “not”) and the copula 惟 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”), attested in oracle bone inscriptions.
;“to have got to”

Han etyl

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 非 (MC pj+j)


餡

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡroːms): semantic 飠 (“food”) + phonetic 臽 (OC *kʰloːmʔ, *ɡroːms) – a kind of food.

Han compound

蝦餃餡／虾饺馅 [Cantonese] ― haa¹ gaau² haam⁶⁻² [Jyutping] ― har gow filling


駝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'aːl): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 它 (OC *l̥ʰaːl).

Han compound

alt. forms: 馱／驮


領

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (領):
* → Japanese: 領(りょう) (ryō)
* → Korean: 영(領) (yeong), 령(領) (ryeong)
* → Vietnamese: lĩnh (領)

→ Indonesian: nia (“collar”)

→ Old Turkic: ling

Turkmen: lüň (mark for border)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reŋʔ): phonetic 令 (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs) + semantic 頁.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/m-liŋ (“neck”) (STEDT, Schuessler 2007). Cognate with Tibetan མཇིང་པ (mjing pa, “neck”), Mizo ring (“neck”), Burmese လည် (lany, “neck”). Semantics: "neck, collar" > ("to take by the neck" > ) "to lead, to guide" (Schuessler 2007).


頸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *keŋʔ, *ɡeŋ): phonetic 巠 (OC *keːŋ) + semantic 頁 (“body part”).
Schuessler (2007) compares this to Tibetan སྐེ (ske, “neck”), Chepang केक् (kek, “neck”), कय्क् (kəyk, “neck, stem”), and suggests that this word is part of a larger word family based on a Sino-Tibetan root *ke (“concave”). These Tibeto-Burman comparanda are given under Proto-Tibeto-Burman *s/m-kej-k (“neck”) in STEDT.
Wang (1982) relates this to 亢 (OC *kaːŋ, “neck”), but Schuessler (2007) finds this relationship unlikely.

Han compound

颈
頚
颈
颈
䫀
管
滾

瓶頸／瓶颈

子宮頸／子宫颈 ― zǐgōngjǐng ― cervix


驟

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zrus): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 聚 (OC *zloʔ, *zlos).
Related to 走 (OC *ʔsoːʔ, “to run”) (Schuessler, 2007).


陸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *m·ruɡ): semantic 阝 + phonetic 坴 (OC *m·ruɡ).
Perhaps related to Proto-Wa (*[ʔ]rok, "dry land") (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

陆
𤱒
𡽷
𨽐
𨽰
𨽫
𨽱
𠃈

student from mainland China studying in Taiwan

陸生

陆生

中國大陸 中國大陸#Chinese

中国大陆 中国大陆#Chinese

Short for 中國大陸／中国大陆 (Zhōngguó dàlù, “mainland China”).


魷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 魚 (“fish”) + phonetic 尤 (OC *ɢʷɯ).

Only used in 魷魚／鱿鱼 (yóuyú, “squid”); also used as its short form.


類

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ruːls, *ruds): phonetic 頪 (OC *roːds) + semantic 犬.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *rus (“bone”) (STEDT).

Han compound

Yóu suǒyǒu jíhé gòuchéng de lèi bùshì jíhé.

由所有集合構成的類不是集合。

由所有集合构成的类不是集合。


項

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡroːŋʔ): phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ) + semantic 頁 (“head”).

Han compound

項鏈／项链

Goose, goose, goose, it arches its neck and sings to the sky.

鵝鵝鵝，曲項向天歌。

鹅鹅鹅，曲项向天歌。


髓

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *suj (“marrow”).


靚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zleŋs): phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ) + semantic 見.

Han compound

靓
靓
靓
精
倩
靓
像
倩


響

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰaŋʔ): phonetic 鄉 (OC *qʰaŋ) + semantic 音 (“sound”).

Han compound

响
𩐢
㗽
𥖡
𧬰
𪢞
窨
𬳧
响
响
向

響亮

响亮


餐

/tʰan³³⁻³³⁵/

/tʰan³³⁻³³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰaːn): phonetic 𣦼 () + semantic 食 (“to eat; meal; food”). Its original meaning was "to swallow".
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-dz(j)a-k/n/t/s (“to eat; food; to feed; rice”), whence Tibetan ཟ (za, “to eat”); probably also related to 咀 (OC *ʔsaʔ, *zaʔ, “to chew”) (STEDT; Benedict, 1972; Schuessler, 2007).
Alternatively, it may be compared to Tibetan འཚལ ('tshal, “to eat”), ཚལ་མ (tshal ma, “breakfast”) (Coblin, 1986; Schuessler, 2007; Hill, 2019).

inh

一餐飯／一餐饭

每日食三餐 [Cantonese] ― mui⁵ jat⁶ sik⁶ saam¹ caan¹ [Jyutping] ― eat three meals a day


騷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *suː): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 蚤 (OC *ʔsuːʔ). Sense “grieved, sad” is a phonetic loan.
; to harass, to bother
; grieved, sad

Han compound

現代漢語方言大詞典, page 6123

他在那兒騷説。

現代漢語方言大詞典, page 6123

他在那儿骚说。


骰

From 投 (MC duw, “to throw”). Often read semantically as 色 (MC srik).

die (polyhedron used in games of chance)


門

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (門):
* → Japanese: 門(もん) (mon)
* → Korean: 문(門) (mun)
* → Vietnamese: môn (門)

Wutunhua: men

Characters in the same phonetic series (門) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形): a gate. Compare 戶 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ, “(one) door”), which is half of this character (𠁣).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-muːr (“mouth; lip; to hold in mouth; to chew; face; gills”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan མུར་བ (mur ba, “to masticate”), Tibetan མུར་འགྲམ (mur 'gram, “jawbone; cheek”), Mizo hmûi (“lips; upper lip”) and 吻 (OC *mɯnʔ, “lips; corner of the lips”).
; “-gate”


頓

(Mainland China Hokkien) to place somewhere for a short period of time to produce some effect


馮

desc

→ English: Feng, Fung, Fong, Foong, Pang

→ Tagalog: Fung

→ Vietnamese: Phùng, 馮

→ English: Phung

→ French: Phung

→ Indonesian: Phung

→ Indonesian: Fung, Phung

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *brɯŋ, *bɯŋ): phonetic 仌 (OC *pŋrɯŋ, *ŋrɯŋ) + semantic 馬 (“horse”).

Han compound

Feng Guozhang (Chinese general and politician in early republican China)

馮國璋

冯国璋


馮

Pínɡ Kūnlún yǐ kàn wù xī, yǐn Mínshān yǐ qīng jiāng.

馮崑崙以瞰霧兮，隱岷山以清江。

冯昆仑以瞰雾兮，隐岷山以清江。

(literary) Alternative form of 憑／凭 (píng, “to lean on”)


飽

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pruːʔ): semantic 食 (“food”) + phonetic 包 (OC *pruː).
For etymology 2, the 食 radical specifies its dietary use (instead of just being a generic wrap).


額

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋɡraːɡ): phonetic 客 (OC *kʰraːɡ) + semantic 頁 (“head”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ŋa-k (“forehead; cockscomb”).
This word is only attested during Han and later. Wang (1982) suggested that it is cognate with 顏 (OC *ŋraːn, “face”), whereas Schuessler (2007) considers it a semantic extension of 詻 (OC *ŋɡraːɡ, “to face”).
The relationship to Proto-Mon-Khmer *[t₁]ʔah (“forehead”), whence Khmer ថ្ងាស (thngaah), is unclear.


騰

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'ɯːŋ): phonetic 朕 (OC *l'ɯmʔ) + semantic 馬 (“horse”) – a horses’ gallop, prance.

Han compound

騰出時間／腾出时间


驗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋrams): semantic 馬 + phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam).


陶

→ Thai: เตา (dtao)

In oracle bone and bronze inscriptions, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): a mound of dirt (阜) + two people (勹) + earth (土) – "to dig", original character of 掏. The shapes beneath the outermost 勹 were corrupted in bamboo slips, arriving at the modern form 缶 in seal script.
Now a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bl'uː, *luː) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 阝 (“soil mountain”) + phonetic 匋 (OC *bl'uː, “make pottery”).

Han compound

Tao Xingzhi (renowned Chinese educator and reformer)

陶行知

Taojialing (a village in Yonglong, Jingshan, Jingmen, Hubei, China)

陶家嶺村

陶家岭村


隻

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 隹 (“bird”) + 又 (“hand”).
To hold one bird is 隻; to hold two birds is 雙.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tjak ~ g-t(j)ik (“one”).

inh

昆蟲有六隻腳。

昆虫有六只脚。

十隻手指

十只手指

四隻桌腳

四只桌脚

Classifier for symmetrical body parts, limbs, hands, feet.

alt. forms: 只 (zhī)

一隻戒指

一只戒指

一隻手錶

一只手表

一隻皮箱

一只皮箱

兩隻花瓶

两只花瓶

一隻氣球

一只气球

Classifier for certain vessels, containers, utensils and objects worn on or grabbable by hand.

(Cantonese, slang) Classifier for months of prison sentence.


頂

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (頂):
* → Vietnamese: đỉnh (頂)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *teːŋʔ): phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ) + semantic 頁 (“head”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-tjaŋ (“upper part”) (STEDT). The sense “damn” is a clipping of 頂你個肺／顶你个肺 (ding² nei⁵ go³ fai³).


顏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋraːn): phonetic 彥 (OC *ŋrans) + semantic 頁 (“head”).
Bronze inscription forms: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋraːn): phonetic 产 () + semantic 面 (“face”).
Various possibilities exist:
* Related to 額 (OC *ŋɡraːɡ, “forehead”) (Wang, 1982);
* From 迓 (OC *ŋraːs, “to receive; to welcome”) + nominalising suffix *-n (Schuessler, 2007);
* Related to Tibetan ངར (ngar, “front side”) (Schuessler, 2007).
* From a root *ŋ(ˤ)rar (“slope, nearly vertical side”), whence also 涯 (OC *ŋˤrar, “river bank”), 巘 (OC *ŋ(r)ar(ʔ), “hill”), & 山 (OC *s-ŋrar, “mountain”) (Baxter & Sagart, 2014).
* Cognate with Japhug tɯrŋa (“face”), Khroskyabs rŋá (Zhang, Jacques, and Lai, 2019).

Han compound

容顏／容颜

笑逐顏開／笑逐颜开

There is the lady in the carriage [with him],
With the countenance like the flower of the ephemeral hedge-tree.

有女同車，顏如舜華。

有女同车，颜如舜华。


駒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ko): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 句 (OC *koː, *koːs, *kos, *ɡo).
Ultimately from Sanskrit घोट (ghoṭa), घोड (ghoḍa) (see घोटक (ghoṭaka) for Indo-Aryan descendants), which has been borrowed into many Sino-Tibetan languages; cognate with Proto-Tani *kɯ, Mizo sa-kawr (STEDT 6023).
Alternatively, Wang (1982) relates this to 狗 (OC *koːʔ, “dog; puppy”), 羔 (OC *kluː, “lamb”), 𤘽 (“calf”).


陰

→ Proto-Tai: *rɤmᴮ (“shade”)

desc

Thai: ร่ม (rôm, “shade, umbrella, parachute”)

According to Shuowen, a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qrɯm): semantic 阜 + phonetic 侌 ().
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r(u/i)m (“dark; shade; dusk; twilight”); compare Tibetan རུམ (rum, “darkness”), Jingpho rim (“to be dusk”) (Benedict, 1972; Bodman, 1980; STEDT).
Schuessler (2007) compares it instead to Burmese အုံ့ (um., “to become overcast”), Adi mugyum (“shade; shadow”), Lepcha ᰠᰨᰌᰤᰪᰮ (so-dyŭm, “shade”).

cog

阴
侌
𠊺
𣍤
𤽎
阥
𨹉
隂
𨻔
𨼖
𨽙
𨽭
𨹩
𩃬
𣱙
𢉩
𠆭

陰間

阴间

陰陽相隔

阴阳相隔


鬮

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɤʊ̯ɻʷ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɤʊ̯ɻʷ⁵⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷɯ, *kʷruʔ): semantic 鬥 (“to fight; to compete”) + phonetic 龜 (OC *kʷɯ, *kʷrɯ).


難

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (難):
* → Japanese: 難(なん) (nan)
* → Korean: 난(難) (nan)
* → Vietnamese: nạn (難)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *n̥ʰaːn, *naːns): abbreviated phonetic 暵 (OC *hnaːnʔ, *hnaːns) + semantic 隹 (“bird”) – a type of bird. Phonetically borrowed for other senses.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *na-n/t (“ill, pain, difficult, evil spirit”).
Cognate with Tibetan མནར (mnar, “to suffer; suffering”), ན (na, “to be sick, ill”), ནན་ཏེ (nan te, “sick, ill”), ནད (nad, “disease, suffering”), Burmese နာ (na, “to suffer pain, to be ill”), နတ် (nat, “nat (spirit), evil spirit”).

cog

难
𨿻
𩀏
𩀙
𩀡
𩀤
𩁘
𩁚
𩁢
𩁣
𩁤
𩁩
𩁪
𩁬
𩁮
𩁲
𩁳
𪄿
𪅀
𪇠
𪇼

質難

质难

非難

非难


鬥

Characters in the same phonetic series (鬥) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) — two figures face-to-face, fighting with bare hands. Some oracle script characters of 鬥／斗 (dòu) show that both of their hair are bristled. The character shape resembles 𠨭 and 丮 opposite each other.
鬥／斗 (dòu) and 鬭／斗 (dòu) are original characters of this form; forms with the similar-looking radical 門 ("door") were non-standard variants.
Simplified form 斗 was derived via the variant form 鬦.
鬥／斗 (dòu) is also one of the 324 simplified characters introduced by the Republic of China (Kuomintang government) in 1935 as the simplified form of 鬭／斗 (dòu); unlike other simplified glyphs, which in many cases get reused for the 1956 PRC simplifications, compared to 鬭, this ended up being used more often as the official traditional form nowadays, despite KMT retraction of such in 1936.
Conflation of two roots "to fight" and "to meet", and the merger has been attested since ancient times.
; "to fight"
; "to meet"

Han etyl

斗
鬭
鬭
鬬
鬪
鬦
闘
閗/𫔯
𨷖
𨷵
𨴜
𫔡
𨶜
𨷖
𨷵
𩰑
𩰒
𩰖


鰍

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰi̯əu̯³³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯əu̯³³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰi̯əu̯³³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯əu̯³³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰɯw): semantic 魚 + phonetic 秋 (OC *sʰɯw).


雪

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (雪):
* → Korean: 설(雪) (seol)
* → Vietnamese: tuyết (雪)

→ Zhuang: siet

Ancient simplification of 䨮, which is in turn phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sqʰʷed): semantic 雨 + phonetic 彗 (OC *sɢʷeds, *ɢʷeds, *sɢʷids).
Schuessler (2007) considers this to be related to Kra-Dai words: Proto-Tai *hnəiᴬ¹ (“snow”), Proto-Kam-Sui *ʔnuːi¹ (“snow”).
Starostin reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *suăt (“snow”), comparing this with Tibetan སད (sad, “frost, cold air, cold, coldness”), but this connection may be unlikely considering the phonetic part of this character.

cog

After the morning meal, I said my farewells to Mother. Then she instructed me: "Go well; fully cleanse [the country of this] national humiliation."

1594, 李舜臣 (Yi Sun-sin), 《亂中日記》 (War Diary of Admiral Yi)

Zhāoshí hòu, gàocí tiānzhǐ qián, zé jiào “yǐ hǎo fù, dà xuě guó rǔ.”

朝食後，告辭天只前，則教「以好赴，大雪國辱。」

朝食后，告辞天只前，则教「以好赴，大雪国辱。」

(Malaysia, Singapore) Short for 雪蘭莪／雪兰莪 (Xuělán'é, “Selangor”).


驛

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (驛):
* → Japanese: 駅(えき) (eki, “station”)
* → Korean: 역(驛) (yeok, “station”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *laːɡ): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 睪 (OC *neb, *laːɡ, *kuː).
Same word as 繹 (OC *laːɡ, “to unravel”) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for more.
Alternatively, Blažek and Schwarz (2017) suggest that this is perhaps a loan from a hypothetical Tocharian compound *klyælylyæ-yäkwæ (“standing of horses”), but this seems to be highly speculative.
The Taiwanese Hokkien sense is an orthographic borrowing from Japanese 駅(えき) (eki).

Han compound

(Taiwanese Hokkien) train station, bus stop, or similar


鱷

→? Proto-Tai: *ŋɯəkᴰ (“crocodile”)

Ahom: 𑜂𑜢𑜤𑜀𑜫 (ṅük, “crocodile; nāga”)

desc

Lao: ເງືອກ (ngư̄ak, “merperson; electric eel”)

Shan: ငိူၵ်ႈ (ngōek, “alligator; crocodile”)

Thai: เงือก (ngʉ̂ʉak, “snake; nāga; crocodilian; mythical water creature; merperson”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋaːɡ): semantic 魚 (“fish”) + phonetic 噩 (OC *ŋaːɡ).
Within Chinese, Carr (1990) relates it to:
* 咢 (OC *ŋaːɡ, “to beat the drum”), either because drumming was associated with dragons or because some drums were made of crocodilian skins (Schuessler, 2007).
* Words for “fear”, e.g. 愕 (OC *ŋaːɡ, “startled; terrified”), 噩 (OC *ŋaːɡ, “frightening; startling”).
Outside of Chinese, Carr (1990) also relates it to:
* Proto-Tai *ŋwak (“mythical water creature”) (reconstruction from Chamberlain, 1977), which Pittayaporn (2009-2010), reconstructing the root as *ŋɯəkᴰ (“crocodile”), holds to be a loan from Chinese.
* Proto-Austro-Tai *(m)baŋiwak (“shark; crocodile”), posited by Paul K. Benedict and proposed by him to give rise to the Tai word, as well as Japanese 鰐(わに) (wani, “crocodilian; shark”), 魚(うお) (uo, “fish”).
Vovin (2021) notes that 鱷 (OC *ŋâk ~ *ŋɑk) "aquatic reptile, saltwater crocodile" was attested late, for the first time in Shuowen as 𧊜; and that "it would be very weird if the word for a ‘saltwater crocodile’ from the middle of Huang-he (黃河) river basin that lies quite far away from both tropics and the sea would be borrowed by Tai languages in Southern China". Therefore, Vovin contends that, instead, 鱷 (OC *ŋâk ~ *ŋɑk) had been borrowed into Later Han Chinese from Tai.


順

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (順):
* → Japanese: 順(じゅん) (jun)
* → Korean: 순(順) (sun)
* → Vietnamese: thuận (順)

desc

→ Vietnamese: thuần (“docile; experienced”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢljuns): phonetic 川 (OC *kʰjon) + semantic 頁.
Shuowen considers it to be an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 川 (“river”) + 頁 (“head”) - flowing in the river, i.e. following/obeying the river's current. Compare the English phrase go with the flow.


題

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *deː, *deːs): phonetic 是 (OC *djeʔ) + semantic 頁 (“head”) – “forehead”.


鱔

/t͡sʰiɑŋ²⁴²/

/t͡sʰiɑŋ²⁴²/