住

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tos, *dos): semantic 亻 + phonetic 主 (OC *tjoʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-duŋ/k ~ m-tuŋ/k (“to sit”) (STEDT).

inh

It's clear that the Khitans were totally bought off with the money and goods.

c. 13th century, various editors, A Collection of Conversations of Master Zhu (《朱子語類》)

契丹分明是被金帛買住了。

契丹分明是被金帛买住了。

Verb suffix indicating firmness, steadiness or coming to a halt.


任

Characters in the same phonetic series (壬) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njɯm, *njɯms): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 壬 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋʔ, *njɯm) – to carry on a shoulder pole.
Note that its phonetic part 壬 (OC *njɯm) may be the graphical representation of 任, depicting a shoulder pole rotated by 90 degrees.
Cognate with 妊 (OC *njɯms, “pregnant”) and Tibetan སྣོམ་པ (snom pa, “to take; seize; hold”). May also be cognate with Proto-Kam-Sui *ȵam¹ (“to hold”) and Old Khmer nāṃ (“to carry”) (Schuessler, 2007).


侯

Pictogram (象形) – a target for arrows.
;"target" > "prince, marquis"
:Schuessler (2007) proposes an Austroasiatic etymology, comparing 侯 (OC *ɡoː) to Khmer គាស់ (kŏəh, “to raise (a crossbow) with a view to aiming”), Khmer [script needed] (kpoḥ, “to be raised up, clearly visible”), & Khmer [script needed] (goḥ, “to hit (squarely)”).
:When meaning "target > prince, marquis", possibly distinct from 后 (OC *ɡoːʔ, *ɡoːs, “(head >) ruler > queen”) (Schuessler, 2007; Goldin, 2021).
:Its derivatives, from sense "target (n.) > to target (v.)", are 候 (OC *ɡoːs) & 觀 (OC *koːn, *koːns), both meaning "to watch" (Schuessler, 2007); contra Lau (1999), who thinks sense "to watch" to be fundamental and "target; lord, marquis" to be derivatives..
;"to be; to have"


儉

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡramʔ): semantic 人 (“person”) + phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam).

Han compound

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

(Taiwanese Hokkien) to save up; to store up


償

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djaŋ, *djaŋs): semantic 亻 + phonetic 賞 (OC *hjaŋʔ).

Han compound

(literary, or in compounds) to repay; to recompense


以

Pictogram (象形) – a person (人) carrying something. It is often simplified to 㠯 in pre-Qin ancient scripts. Today, the person is partly visibile on the right (see also the stylization in 从). See also 重, in which a person is carrying a bag.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *la-k (“to take; to fetch”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT). Cognate with 式 (OC *hljɯɡ, “model; form; rule”), 試 (OC *hljɯɡs, “to test; to try”).

inh

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 以 (MC yiX), equivalent to the 4th 等 (děng) of the initial 喻 (MC yuH)


串

desc

→ Hong Kong English: inch (“cocky, etc.”) (semantic loan)

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑɻ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰuaŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰueŋ²¹³/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑɻ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰuaŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰueŋ²¹³/

Pictogram (象形) – objects strung together.
Cognate with 穿 (OC *kʰljon, *kʰljons, “to pierce through; to wear”).

och-l

一串珠子

一串鞭炮

一串葡萄

Classifier for strung, bunched or clustered objects.

Rújīn zhǐ xiāo chuàn chū ge rén lái xià tā yī xià, xià chū jǐ bǎi liǎng yínzǐ lái, bǎ yātóu báibái sòng nǐ zuò lǎopó.

如今只消串出個人來嚇他一嚇，嚇出幾百兩銀子來，把丫頭白白送你做老婆。

如今只消串出个人来吓他一吓，吓出几百两银子来，把丫头白白送你做老婆。

(literary, or in compounds) to gang up on; to conspire; to collaborate

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

Cóng xiǎo'ér zài dōngjīng shí, zhǐ qù xíngyuàn rénjiā chuàn, nà yī gè xíngyuàn bù ài tā!

從小兒在東京時，只去行院人家串，那一箇行院不愛他！

从小儿在东京时，只去行院人家串，那一个行院不爱他！

to pay a visit to; to visit; to move about

客串

1740 CE, Pu Songling, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio

Kè yú wà zhōng chū yù dí, suí shēng biàn chuàn, qū zhōng dí zhǐ.

客於襪中出玉笛，隨聲便串，曲終笛止。

客于袜中出玉笛，随声便串，曲终笛止。

(literary, or in compounds) to play a role; to act; to perform

Alternative form: 寸

(Cantonese, slang) cocksure; arrogant; cocky


儷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reːls): semantic 人 (“person”) + phonetic 麗 (OC *reːls, *rel).


了

desc

→ English: already, liao (Singapore English) (semantic loan)

According to the Shuowen Jiezi, a pictogram (象形) of a baby without arms. Compare with 子, where the arms are visible. The Shuowen defines 了 as "the crossing of lower legs".
In the Shuowen Jiezi Zhu, a commentary to the Shouwen Jiezi, it is said that the pictogram instead depicts entangled legs (了戾).
Its relation with the meaning "to finish" is likely via sound loan, but an argument can be made about "entangled legs" → "tie"→ "finish".
Unrelated to 亨.
Verb “to finish; to be completed” > perfective aspect particle (了₁, weakened form) > change-of-state modal particle (了₂). It eventually replaced classical 矣 (OC *ɢlɯʔ).
Two kinds of particle uses of 了 can be distinguished: the perfective aspect particle after verbs (conventionally written as 了₁) and the sentence-final modal particle (了₂). It is generally accepted (Wu, 1998) that these two uses of 了 are derived from the concrete verb “to finish”. The grammaticalisation of this verb had become common in the Tang Dynasty, initially in the form of ‹verb + (object) + perfective 了› to indicate the completion of an action.
The perfective particle subsequently underwent further grammaticalisation to become the sentence-final change-of-state modal particle; Liu (1985) has demonstrated that this last step may have involved the coalescence of sentence-final 了 with 也 in certain Mandarin dialects, as the pronunciations of 了₁ and 了₂ are distinct in these dialects, with 了₂ rhyming with 也.
Contrary to the suggestion in Schuessler (2007), this word is not related to Vietnamese rồi, due to the non-existent correspondence between any given phonemes. Thai แล้ว (lɛ́ɛo, “to be finished; already; then, afterwards”), Lao ແລ້ວ (lǣu, “to finish; to be completed; perfective particle”) are loans from Chinese.

cog

He has become a college student / He is a college student now.

他是大學生了。

他是大学生了。

Used at the end of a sentence to indicate a change of state.


備

Phono-semantic (形聲／形声, OC *brɯɡs) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): a person (亻) carrying a quiver (𤰈 OC *bɯɡ) – "ready; prepared".
Area word; compare Burmese ပြင် (prang, “to get ready; to prepare”), Jingpho hpra (pʰraʔ³¹, “to complete”), Mon ပြေၚ် (“to prepare; to arrange for”) (Schuessler, 2007).

攻其不備

攻其不备

以備不時之需／以备不时之需

The gentleman said: "One who is not prepared against the unexpected cannot command troops."

君子曰：「不備不虞，不可以師。」

君子曰：「不备不虞，不可以师。」

(Ma Wu) led his troops, whom he stationed north – at Xiaquyang – to defend against the Xiongnu.

The Book of the Later Han, circa 5ᵗʰ century CE

Jiāng bīng běitún Xiàqūyáng, bèi Xiōngnú.

將兵北屯下曲陽，備匈奴。

将兵北屯下曲阳，备匈奴。

to provide or prepare against; to take precautions against

備受關注／备受关注

Orders are also given to the chief minister, after the fruits of husbandry have all been gathered in, […]

The Book of Rites, c. 4ᵗʰ – 2ⁿᵈ century BCE

乃命冢宰，農事備收。

乃命冢宰，农事备收。


僑

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (僑):
* → Vietnamese: kiều (僑)

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡrew): semantic 亻 + phonetic 喬 (OC *krew, *ɡrew).

Han compound

(historical) related to refugees who escaped Xianbei rule in the Sixteen Kingdoms period and resettled in areas still controlled by the Eastern Jin government


儘

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 亻 + phonetic 盡 (OC *ʔslinʔ, *zlinʔ).

to do one's utmost; to do all one can; to do one's best


債

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsreːɡs, *ʔsreːɡ): semantic 亻 + phonetic 責 (OC *ʔsreːɡ).
Cognate with 責 (OC *ʔsreːɡ, “to request; to hold responsible”) (Schuessler, 2007).


傅

→ English: Fu, Poh

→ Tagalog: Po

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *paɡs): semantic 人 (“man”) + phonetic 尃 (OC *pʰa).

Han compound

傅雷


傅

Tang Dynasty, Fan Chuo, Manshu, chapter 4, part 17

箭鏃傅毒藥

箭镞傅毒药

The Face Tattoo Barbarians are tattooed on their face the month after birth, using needles laced with indigo dye.

Tang Dynasty, Fan Chuo, Manshu, chapter 4, part 18

Xiùmiànmán chūshēng hòu chūyuè, yǐ zhēncì miànshàng, yǐ qīngdài fù zhī.

繡面蠻初生後出月，以針刺面上，以青黛傅之。

绣面蛮初生后出月，以针刺面上，以青黛傅之。

(literary) Alternative form of 敷 (fū)
to apply; to lay on; to lace


凰

Originally 皇. A spurious 𠘨 was added by the assimilation with 鳳.

(Chinese mythology) female fenghuang (a mythological bird)


停

→ Vietnamese: đừng (“do not”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *deːŋ): semantic 亻 + phonetic 亭 (OC *deːŋ).
From 亭 (tíng) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for more.


交

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

Pictogram (象形) – a human with crossed legs. In today's writing, the upper part of the human is similar to 立, which in turn depicts a man standing. Unrelated to 父.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *rjaw (“mix”); cognate with Burmese ရော (rau:, “to mix”), Jingpho yau (“be mixed”), kəjau (“to mix, intermix”), compare Chepang [script needed] (ljawh-ʔo, “mixed”) and Proto-Mienic *klaau³ (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

交班

交功課／交功课 [Cantonese] ― gaau¹ gung¹ fo³ [Jyutping] ― to turn in homework

交咗租未？

請把任務交給我吧！

请把任务交给我吧！

交談

交谈

交易

Superiors and inferiors will try to snatch this profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered.

Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

上下交征利而國危矣。

上下交征利而国危矣。

16th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "contact" (𝌕)


俊

good-looking; pretty; beautiful; handsome


例

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reds): semantic 亻 + phonetic 列 (OC *red).

Han compound

舉例／举例

以陳先生為例／以陈先生为例

to use the case of Mr. Chen as an example

病例

If there are fewer than ten cases, then a rule should not be established based on them.

例不十，法不立

先例

破例

條例／条例

唔啱例 [Cantonese] ― m⁴ ngaam¹ lai⁶ [Jyutping] ― to violate the regulations

例會／例会


健

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡans): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 建 (OC *kans).
Perhaps from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)aː(r/l) (“solid, congealed, frozen, viscous, strong”), and cognate with Burmese ခဲ (hkai:, “to freeze”) (STEDT).


僻

偏僻

荒僻


值

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *dɯɡs, *dɯɡ): semantic 亻 + phonetic 直 (OC *dɯɡ).

Han compound

值班


儒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njo): semantic 亻 (“human”) + phonetic 需 (OC *sno).
Origin obscure. Chen (2013) – following Xu Shen's Shuowen Jiezi, etc. – links 儒 (OC *njo, “sorcerers, intellectuals, government officials, Confucians”) to 柔 (OC *mlju, “soft”) and 懦 (OC *noːls, *njo, “weak, timid”) "probably derived from the nature of the profession, registered by softness, suppleness, and flexibility".

och-l

Mencius said, 'Those who are fleeing from the errors of Mohism naturally turn to Yangism, and those who are fleeing from the errors of Yang naturally turn to Ruism. When they so turn, they should at once and simply be received. Those who nowadays dispute with the followers of Yangism and Mohism do so as if they were pursuing a stray pig, the leg of which, after they have got it to enter the pen, they proceed to tie.'

Mèngzǐ yuē: “Táo Mò bì guī yú Yáng, táo Yáng bì guī yú Rú. Guī, sī shòu zhī ér yǐ yǐ. Jīn zhī yǔ Yángmò biàn zhě, rú zhuī fàng tún, jì rù qí lì, yòu cóng ér zhāo zhī.”

孟子曰：「逃墨必歸於楊，逃楊必歸於儒。歸，斯受之而已矣。今之與楊墨辯者，如追放豚，既入其苙，又從而招之。」

孟子曰：「逃墨必归于杨，逃杨必归于儒。归，斯受之而已矣。今之与杨墨辩者，如追放豚，既入其苙，又从而招之。」


伯

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (伯):
* → Japanese: 伯(はく) (haku, “count”)
* → Korean: 백(伯) (baek, “count”)
* → Vietnamese: bá (伯, “count”)

→? Proto-Turkic: *bēg (see there for further descendants)

→ Manchu: ᠪᡝ (be)

desc

→ Thai: แปะ (bpɛ̀), แป๊ะ (bpɛ́, “old Chinese man”) (via Teochew)

→ Vietnamese: bác (“uncle, aunt”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *praːɡ): semantic 人 (“person”) + phonetic 白 (OC *braːɡ).
Unclear. Possibly an areal word (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Mru [script needed] (rak, “eldest brother”) and Kukish prak (“eldest brother”) (Löffler, 1966), as well as Lahu phâ (“god; lord”) < Thai พระ (prá) < Old Khmer bra or Angkorian Old Khmer braḥ, braḥh, brah (“distinguished; divine; excellent; holy; sacred; superior; etc.”) (see Khmer ព្រះ (preăh) for more).
Possibly related to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bʷaŋ ~ *pʷaŋ (“(paternal) uncle; elder brother”), in turn possibly related to 兄 (OC *hmraŋ, “elder brother”) (Benedict, 1972).
Alternatively, from 白 (OC *braːɡ, “white”); compare 皤 (OC *paːl, *baːl, “white”), which underwent parallel semantic shift to "white-haired", though this is possibly folk etymology (Schuessler, 2007).
Pronunciation 2 is the exoactive/transitive of pronunciation 1 (ibid.).

沙烏地阿拉伯

Shāwūdì Ālābó

沙乌地阿拉伯

Shāwūdì Ālābó


乃

His original form is 𠄎 and his origin is uncertain. Various theories exists:
* Chen Duxiu, Guo Moruo: Pictogram (象形) – sideway view of a person with protruding breasts. Original form of 奶 (OC *rneːlʔ)
* Zhu Fangpu: Pictogram (象形) – a rope. Original form of 繩 (OC *ɦbljɯŋ)
* Wang Yunzhi, Shihong: Pictogram (象形) – a rope in midair being thrown. Used as a component in 扔 (OC *njɯŋ, *njɯŋs).
* Lin Yiguang: Ideogram (指事) – the shape of dragging or pulling.
Unrelated to 廴.
; “you; your”
; "then; now"

迺
廼
𠄕
𠄎
𠧤
𢏩
𢎧

The King of Zhao fasted for five days before sending the jade off. Now Your Majesty should also fast for five days, and receive me with the Ceremony of Jiubin at the court. Only then will I dare to present the jade.

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

Zhào wáng sòng bì shí zhāijiè wǔ rì. Jīn dàwáng yì yí zhāijiè wǔrì, shè jiǔbīn yú tíng, chén nǎi gǎn shàng bì.

趙王送璧時齋戒五日。今大王亦宜齋戒五日，設九賓於廷，臣乃敢上璧。

赵王送璧时斋戒五日。今大王亦宜斋戒五日，设九宾于廷，臣乃敢上璧。

Liu Bang said to Zhang Liang, "It is only twenty lis from here to our camp. Only after you estimate that I have arrived at our camp should you enter."

Pèi Gōng wèi Zhāng Liáng yuē: “Cóng cǐ dào zhì wú jūn, bùguò èrshí lǐ ěr. Duò wǒ zhì jūn zhōng, gōng nǎi rù.”

沛公謂張良曰：「從此道至吾軍，不過二十里耳。度我至軍中，公乃入。」

沛公谓张良曰：「从此道至吾军，不过二十里耳。度我至军中，公乃入。」


充

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 𠫓 (“a newborn”) + 儿 (“standing person”) – A newborn grows to stand and become mature.


偉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷɯlʔ): semantic 亻 + phonetic 韋 (OC *ɢʷɯl).

Han compound

extraordinary; magnificent; great; robust


佛

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (佛):
* → Japanese: 仏(ふつ) (futsu); 仏(ぶつ) (butsu)
* → Korean: 불(佛) (bul)
* → Vietnamese: Phật (佛), Bụt (佛)

→ Chadong: fut⁸

⇒ Mongolian: ᠪᠤᠷᠬᠠᠨ (burqan) / бурхан (burxan)

desc

→ Vietnamese: Bụt (“a wise and kind old man in folklore”)

→ Zhuang: baed

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bɯd): semantic 亻 + phonetic 弗 (OC *pɯd).
Ji (1998v7) considers it likely borrowed from Iranian (compare Sogdian 𐼾𐼴𐽂𐼷 (pwty), 𐫁𐫇𐫤𐫏 (bwty /Pute, Bute, βute/), Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (bwt'), 𐫁𐫇𐫤 (bwt /But/), Parthian 𐫁𐫇𐫎 (bwṯ /But, Butt/)), ultimately from Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha, “awakened, enlightened”, past passive participle), whence also 佛陀 (MC bjut da), but the Chinese morpheme 佛 is not a direct contraction or clipping of the latter.

der

仏
𰁰
㚕
仸
𠑵
𠇛
𦤲

佛陀

佛教


剜

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qoːn): phonetic 宛 (OC *qon, *qonʔ) + semantic 刂.


凊

/t͡sʰɛiŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰɛiŋ²¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰleŋs): semantic 仌 (“ice”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ)

Han compound

Having what is warm and light in winter and what is light and cool in summer, they would yet heavily tax the people, robbing them of their means of livelihood.

Dōng zé qīng nuǎn, xià zé qīng qìng, jiē yǐ jù yǐ. Bì hòu zuò liǎn yú bǎixìng, bào duó mín yīshí zhī cái.

冬則輕煗，夏則輕凊，皆已具矣。必厚作斂於百姓，暴奪民衣食之財。

冬则轻暖，夏则轻凊，皆已具矣。必厚作敛于百姓，暴夺民衣食之财。

(Classical, dialectal Mandarin, Xiang, Min, Chuqu Wu) cool, cold


位

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷrɯbs): semantic 亻 (“man”) + phonetic 立 (OC *rɯb, “stand”). Often simply written as 立 in idiomatic expressions such as 即位 (jíwèi) in Western Zhou inscriptions.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-r(j)ap (“to stand”). Derived from 立 (OC *rɯb). Mei (2012) lists it among the possible nasal-prefixed verb forms (Old Chinese *N-k- > Middle Chinese *ɦ-, possibly forming a stative). Suffixed with a nominalizing *-s, it takes the sense "the place/rank/status one holds".


供

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kloŋ, *kloŋs): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 共 (OC *kloŋ, *ɡloŋs).

Han compound

供述

to confess; to own up; to make a confession of


修

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *slɯw): phonetic 攸 (OC *lɯw) + semantic 彡.

Han compound

修鐵路／修铁路


剃

Possibly a post-Han variant of 剔 (OC *l̥ʰeːɡ) (Schuessler, 2007).

剃鬚／剃须 [Cantonese] ― tai³ sou¹ [Jyutping] ― to shave off facial hair


傻

Unclear. Possible early forms in Middle Chinese include 𧫝 (MC srwaeX) or 誜 (MC srwaeH), indicating "to speak carelessly; to talk nonsense".


你

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *nɯʔ): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 尔 (OC *njelʔ). Alternatively, Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 人 (“person”) + 尔 (“you”)
Colloquial form of 爾 (OC *njelʔ, “you”) attested since the Tang dynasty. Ultimately from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *na-ŋ (“you”).

Han compound

妳
伱
儞
伲
𤙌
汝
㚢

你好

你今天晚上有空嗎？

你今天晚上有空吗？

我喜歡你。

我喜欢你。

you (the person spoken to or written to)

閻王叫你三更死，誰敢留人到五更／阎王叫你三更死，谁敢留人到五更

Yánwáng jiào nǐ sāngēng sǐ, shéi gǎn liú rén dào wǔgēng


保

In the oracle script, this character was an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 人 (“person”) + 子 (“child”) – a person carrying a child on his back; to carry (a child) > to protect. See also 好.
In early bronze inscriptions, 爪 (“hand”) was added to the person to emphasize that the person was carrying the child. This was later simplified into one or two strokes. The current form has two.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bəw (“to carry (on back or shoulders)”). Cognate with 抱 (OC *buːʔ, “to heft, hug”); see there for more (STEDT).

inh

𠈃
𠊻
𠌀
𠍂
𰠀
㙅
𤞥
𠦀
𠫡
𡥀
𣎼
𤔍
葆

(historical) bao (a unit of the ancient administrative system, consisting of some 100 households)


凱

Two possibilities:
* Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ): semantic 豈 (“drum”) + phonetic 几 (OC *krilʔ), in which case 豈 may have been the initial form of this character.
* Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ): phonetic 豈 (OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ, *ŋ̊ʰɯlʔ) + semantic 几.
Originally used to mean “music of triumph; victory music”.

Han compound

Alternative form of 愷／恺 (kǎi, “peaceful; harmonious”)


他

Wutunhua: ta (“he; she; it”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰaːl): semantic 亻 (“man”) + phonetic 也 (OC *laːlʔ).
Corrupted form of 佗 (OC *l̥ʰaːl, *l'aːl), which is found in Zuozhuan.
Etymology not clear (Schuessler, 2007). Perhaps cognate with 誃 (OC *l'al, *l̥ʰjalʔ, “to separate”).
The modern sense of "he, she, it" only emerged after the Han period in colloquial passages, and displaced classical 其 (OC *ɡɯ) and 之 (OC *tjɯ) in mandarin dialects. (Pulleyblank, 1995)
The phonological development from Middle Chinese was irregular. The expected reflex is tuō, which is sometimes used in literary contexts for the classical "other" sense, but in most Mandarin dialects it is read like tā.

Han compound

while 渠 is more common in other varieties

Chinese varieties in general do not distinguish gender

distinctions are only sometimes made in writing.佢 is commonly used in Yue

睡他個昏天黑地

睡他个昏天黑地

alt. forms: 它

A dummy pronoun. Compare object pronoun 之 (zhī)


偏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰen, *pʰens): semantic 亻 + phonetic 扁 (OC *pʰen, *benʔ, *peːnʔ, *beːnʔ).


予

Traditionally considered a variant of 余 (OC *la), however Shijing and Chuci rhymes suggests that the expected tone reflex was rising tone, similar to Pronunciation 1 (Mattos, 1971; Pulleyblank, 1995), which corresponds to a glottal stop coda in Old Chinese. It could thus be reanalyzed an emphatic form of the *l- series of first-person pronouns, similar to 我 (OC *ŋaːlʔ, “me, us”) compared to 吾 (OC *ŋaː, “I, we”) in the *ŋ- series.
Cognate with 余 (OC *la), 台 (OC *lɯ, “I”), 朕 (OC *l'ɯmʔ). Further etymology is obscure (Schuessler, 2007). Li F. (1976) reconstructs Old Chinese *rag, and compares it to Proto-Tai *rawᴬ (“first person plural pronoun”) > Thai เรา (rao, “we”). However, Schuessler considers this etymon belonging to 兩 (OC *raŋʔ, *raŋs, “both”).

cog

互
乎
與
護
付
給
呼
後
候
𢗝
厚
被
讓
使
俾
度

used without 的; GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)


倭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qoːl, *qoːlʔ, *qrol): semantic 人 + phonetic 委 (OC *qrol, *qrolʔ).
Various theories suggest that 倭 was influenced by Old Japanese 我 (wa, “I, me”) or referring to the practice of bowing among the ancient Japanese.

Han compound

(historical, now derogatory) Japan; Yamato

倭蛙

倭河馬／倭河马 ― wōhémǎ ― pygmy hippopotamus

倭黑猩猩 ― wōhēixīngxīng ― bonobo; pygmy chimpanzee


剚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsrɯs): phonetic 事 (OC *ʔsrɯs, *zrɯs) + semantic 刀 (“knife; sword”).


儀

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋral): semantic 亻 + phonetic 義 (OC *ŋrals).
Sino-Tibetan in origin. Cognate with the following (Schuessler (2007), STEDT):
* 宜 (OC *ŋral, “proper; suitable”)
* 義 (OC *ŋrals, “righteous”)
* 議 (OC *ŋrals, “to discuss; to comment; to criticize”)
* 犧 (OC *hŋral, “sacrifice (v., n.)”)
Schuessler (2007) considers them to be cognate with Mizo ŋaiᴴ / ŋaiʔᴸ (“to think; consider; be necessary; have need to; be customary”), Khumi Chin ŋài (“to wish; to need”), Lai ŋaaj / ŋaʔj (“to yearn; to long for”), Tedim Chin ŋaːi² (“to love”).
On the other hand, STEDT provisionally sets up Proto-Kuki-Chin *ŋaay (“listen; hark”), which is compared to the 5 Sinitic words.

cog

ŋaiᴴ / ŋaiʔᴸ


依

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qɯl): semantic 亻 (“human”) + phonetic 衣 (OC *qɯl, *qɯls).
Probably cognate with 倚 (OC *qralʔ, *qrals) (Wang, 1982). Perhaps 因 (OC *qin) is an allofam (Pulleyblank, 1991), though the vowels do not agree (Schuessler, 2007).

奧依亞依拉克

Àoyīyà Yīlākè

奥依亚依拉克

Àoyīyà Yīlākè

according to; in accordance with; in light of; in a manner conforming to; in compliance with


依

(Eastern Min) Used in front of persons' given names or kinship terms to express familiarity.


亞

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (亞):
* → Japanese: 亜(あ) (a)
* → Korean: 아(亞) (a)
* → Vietnamese: Á (亞)

東亞

东亚

亞裔

亚裔

亞太地區

亚太地区

(～洲) Short for 亞細亞／亚细亚 (Yàxìyà, “Asia”).

Used in transcription.
Short for 亞細亞／亚细亚 (Yàxìyà, “Asia”).


亡

Ideogram (指事): a line on 刀 – cutting edge of a knife; the original form of 芒 (OC *maːŋ, *maŋ, “edge of a knife”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ma (“not”) + Proto-Sino-Tibetan terminative suffix *-ŋ. Cognate with 忘 (OC *maŋ, *maŋs, “to forget”), 罔 (OC *mlaŋʔ, “to not have”), 荒 (OC *hmaːŋ, *hmaːŋs, “to waste (land, time)”) and 喪 (OC *smaːŋs, *smaːŋ, “to lose”).
The meaning of Pronunciation 2 is attested by the Oracle bone script. It is traditionally considered to be a variant of 無 (OC *ma), and its reading is thus semantically applied. However, evidence shows that its meaning was more similar to "無之" ("to not have it, to have none"), and Shijing rhymes suggests that it originally was read like Pronunciation 1, which suggests that it was ultimately also from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ma (“not”) + Proto-Sino-Tibetan terminative suffix *-ŋ (Pulleyblank, 1995).

被難

to be killed in a disaster, political incident

死亡

亡妻


儕

/t͡sʰaːi̯²¹/

/t͡sʰaːi̯²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zriːl): semantic 人 + phonetic 齊 (OC *zliːl, *zliːls).
From 齊 (OC *zliːl, *zliːls).

Han compound

侪
侪
倽
畲
畬
𠈱
侪
纔
裁
全


克

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): a battle helmet 由 and a pelt 皮 – "to defeat; to vanquish". Alternatively, pictogram (象形): a person 卩 carrying something 由 over their shoulders – "to shoulder; to be competent".
Also Simplified from 剋.
; "gram"
; Tibetan measuring vessel, Tibetan volume unit, Tibetan area unit

奧依亞依拉克

Àoyīyà Yīlākè

奥依亚依拉克

Àoyīyà Yīlākè

2015 November 22, 姚古 (Yao Gu), 《粪草》, in 《桂林晚报》 [Guilin Evening News], page 19

平常時在門口掃起的樹枝樹葉，也物盡其用當柴火燒克了，所以各家各户產生的垃圾好少的。

平常时在门口扫起的树枝树叶，也物尽其用当柴火烧克了，所以各家各户产生的垃圾好少的。

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(dialectal) Pronunciation spelling of 去.

Used in transcription.
a Tibetan unit of volume or dry measure


俞

In oracle bone script, it was likely a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 凡 + phonetic inverted 由 (OC *lɯw), hence a form vaguely similar to 甲. It's also possible that the phonetic component is instead an ancient form of 鏃 (OC *ʔsoːɡ).
In bronze inscriptions, 凡 corrupted into 舟, and the bottom-right subcomponent of 甲 gradually corrupted into two lines 巜 (now written 刂). The upper-right subcomponent (vaguely similar to 口) was eventually stylized as (亼) and moved to the top of the character in bamboo slips. Eventually, 舟 was further corrupted into 月, arriving at the modern form.
Unrelated to 前, 刖, 巜, and 巛.


偽

Simplified from 僞 (爲 → 為). Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋʷrals): semantic 亻 (“man”) + phonetic 為 (OC *ɢʷal, *ɢʷals, “to make”), originally “artificial”.
Often thought to be derived from 為 (OC *ɢʷal, “to act as”) (Karlgren, 1956; Wang, 1982; Baxter and Sagart, 2014).
Alternatively, it may be cognate to 訛 (OC *ŋʷaːl, “erroneous”) (Schuessler, 2007); this may be compared to Tibetan རྔོད (rngod, “to deceive”), though the -d in Tibetan is unexplained (Gong, 1995; Schuessler, 2007; Hill, 2014).
Jacques (2022, 2023) seems to attempt to unify the two etymologies above. He argues the Middle Chinese initial ng- in both 偽 (MC ngjweH) and 訛 (MC ngwa) come from a middle voice/intransitivizing prefix *ŋ-. 偽, reconstructed as *ŋ-waj-s, would be derived from 為 (OC waj) as the root.


傘

Pictogram (象形) – pictographic representation of an umbrella.

伞
繖
𢄻
伞
仐
𠋔
𠌂
𠍘
𠎃
𡙘
𡙫

雨傘

雨伞

陽傘

阳伞


凍

→ Old Turkic: dong (frozen)

Old Turkic: dong- (to freeze)

Turkish: donmak

Azerbaijani: donmaq

Turkmen: doňmak

Turkmen: doň ýürek (coldhearted)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *toːŋ, *toːŋs): semantic 冫 + phonetic 東 (OC *toːŋ).


僚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rewʔ, *reːw): semantic 人 (“person”) + phonetic 尞 ().

Han compound

(historical) Alternative form of 䝤 (lǎo, “an ancient tribe in southwestern China”)


刪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sraːn): phonetic 冊 (OC *sʰreːɡ) + semantic 刀 (“knife”).

Han compound

刪掉這個文件。

删掉这个文件。


傾

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰʷeŋ): semantic 人 (“man”) + phonetic 頃 (OC *kʰʷeŋ, *kʰʷeŋʔ). Note that it is not 化 + 頁.
Of Austroasiatic origin; compare Proto-Monic *kʔiəŋ (“to lean; to be slanted”), Khmer អៀង (ʼiəng, “to lean sideways”) (Schuessler 2007).

cog

to do one's best; to use up all of one's resources


凳

→ Khmer: តាំង (tang)

→ Proto-Tai: *taŋᴮ

Lao: ຕັ່ງ (tang)

Thai: ตั่ง (dtàng)

Zhuang: daengq

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tɯːŋs): phonetic 登 (OC *tɯːŋ) + semantic 几 (“table; stool”).

Han compound

ni¹ zoeng¹ dang³ zan¹ hai⁶ hou² m⁴ wan² zan⁶.

呢張凳真係好唔穩陣。

呢张凳真系好唔稳阵。


京

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (京):
* → Japanese: 京(きょう) (kyō); 京(けい) (kei)
* → Korean: 경(京) (gyeong)
* → Vietnamese: kinh (京)

Pictogram (象形) – a tall building (i.e. a tower). Compare 高.
When used as a component on top of the character, the character loses the bottom part 小. (e.g., 亮 and 亭).
Either from:
* Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-gaŋ (“hill, ridge, mountain”) (STEDT), cognate with 岡 (OC *klaːŋ, “hill, crest”), 鯨 (OC *ɡraŋ, “whale”), Tibetan སྒང་ (sgang, “ridge; mound”), Burmese ခင် (hkang, “ridge”), Burmese အခေါင် (a.hkaung, “summit”), Lahu qhɔ³³ (“mountain”), Puroik gɹaŋ³³ (“mountain”), Proto-Tamangic *ᴬgaŋ ("hill, mountain"); or
* of Austroasiatic origin, compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *graŋ (“hill, peak”) (Schuessler, 2007), whence Mon ဂြၚ် (krɛ̀aŋ, “peak”) and Old Khmer grāṅ (“hill on flat land”).
Within Chinese, cognate with 景 (OC *kraŋʔ, “large”), 鯨 (OC *ɡraŋ, “whale”) (Schuessler, 2007).

inh

京劇

京剧

京腔

Short for 北京 (Běijīng, “Beijing”). after 1949

Short for 南京 (Nánjīng, “Nanjing”). between 1927–1948

Short for 京都 (jīngdū, “Kyoto”). when referring Japan-related topics


兆

Pictogram (象形) – the cracks in a shell during fortune-telling, an omen.
Compare Chepang ह्रावःसा (hrawʔ‑, “to forebode; to portend ill fortune”).

cog

In this month orders are given to the Grand Scribe to smear with blood the tortoise-shells and divining stalks, and by interpreting the indications of the former and examining the figures formed by the latter, to determine the good and evil of their intimations.

The Book of Rites, c. 4ᵗʰ – 2ⁿᵈ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Shì yuè yě, mìng tàishǐ xìn guīcè, zhānzhào shěnguà jíxiōng.

是月也，命大史釁龜策，占兆審卦吉凶。

是月也，命大史衅龟策，占兆审卦吉凶。

That being so, there was no selecting of [auspicious] times and days, no divining by trigrams or shell cracks, no scheming about where to begin, no discussion of where to end.

Shìyǐ bù zé shírì, bù zhān guàzhào, bù móu suǒshǐ, bù yì suǒzhōng.

是以不擇時日，不占卦兆，不謀所始，不議所終。

是以不择时日，不占卦兆，不谋所始，不议所终。

(historical) cracks formed on heated tortoise plastrons and mammal bones used in ancient divination

(chiefly Taiwan) trillion (million million), tera-, 10¹²

I thought of my prince alone, and of no other; and that, too, was a thing that the mob of hundreds of myriads abhorred.

The Verses of Chu, 4ᵗʰ century BCE – 2ⁿᵈ century CE, translated based on David Hawkes' version

Zhuān wéi jūn ér wú tā xī, yòu zhòngzhào zhī suǒchóu.

專惟君而無他兮，又眾兆之所讎。

专惟君而无他兮，又众兆之所雠。

(Mainland China) (SI prefix) million, mega-, 10⁶


仙

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (仙):
* → Japanese: 仙(せん) (sen)
* → Korean: 선(仙) (seon)
* → Vietnamese: tiên (仙)

→ Thai: เซียน (siian) (via Hokkien)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sen): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 山 (OC *sreːn, “mountain”) — a person moving into a mountain to practise becoming immortal.
Originally 僊. The current form is first attested in the clerical script of the Han dynasty.
A relatively late word, perhaps Sino-Tibetan (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Tibetan གཤེན (gshen, “shaman”), as in Tibetan གཤེན་རབ (gshen rab, “Shenrab”), the founder of the Tibetan religion Bon, although this might be a loan from Chinese (ibid.). Starostin sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s[ă]n (“a kind of demon”), comparing it to Tibetan བསེན་མོ (bsen mo, “female devil”) and Jingpho sawn (“malignant female nat”).

cog

*僊
仚
屳
㒨
僲
𠑗
𠏡
銑

仙逝

(idiomatic) Idols of Wang Ye's are everywhere. Literally, “The bigger idol is a senior Wang Ye; the smaller idol is a junior Wang Ye.”

Tōa sian--ê ông-iâ kong, sè sian--ê ông-iâ kiáⁿ.

大仙的王爺公，細仙的王爺囝。

大仙的王爷公，细仙的王爷囝。

(Southern Min) Classifier for deity, idol, statue, doll. Alternative form of 身 (sian)

won't listen (to you) no matter what you say

仙講都毋聽

仙讲都毋听

(Southern Min) (with negative) whatsoever, any way


典

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 冊 (“books”) + 丌 (“table”) – (official) books on a table.
Unrelated to 曲 and 曹.
From Proto-Sinitic *dʰiəm.

Han compound

(Internet slang) Literally "classic, typical", used usually alone to complain that a person's words hit one of the typicals of the similar ridiculous expressions.


僧

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɯːŋ): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 曾 (OC *ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯːŋ) – a kind of person (a Buddhist monk).
Clipping of 僧伽 (MC song gja, “sangha; community of monks, nuns, novices and laity”); see there for more.


世

* Pictogram (象形) – three leaves on a branch. The derivative 葉 (OC *hljeb, *leb) refers to the original word.
* Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): Triplication of 十 (“ten”) - thirty, such as a variant form 丗. Thirty years make one generation (thirty times twelve months gives 360 months). Compare 廿 (OC *njɯb, “id-2”).
世 (OC *hljebs) is derived from iterative devoicing of 葉 (OC *leb, “leaf”) + *-s suffix, meaning successive foliages of a tree > generations. Compare Tibetan ལོ་མ (lo ma, “leaf”), Western Tibetan ལོབ་མ (lob ma, “leaf”) and Tibetan ལོ (lo, “year”).

全新世 ― quánxīnshì ― holocene


函

→ Vietnamese: hòm

Originally 圅, a pictogram (象形) – an upside-down arrow stored inside a box with one or two handles.

發函

发函


剉

(Penang Hokkien) to finely chop, to mince


凶

Pictogram (象形) and/or Ideogram (指事)- with the '凵' component representing a hole in the ground and with the '㐅' component (if an ideogram) indicating the existence of a hole and/or (if a pictogram) representing rock, mud, stone or bamboo in the hole. Alternately, could be derived from the upper component of '㚇'.

Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China

Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong

alt. forms: 兇／凶 (xiōng)


候

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡoːs): semantic 亻 + phonetic 矦 (OC *ɡoː), as 𠊱. The 矦 component (here in modified form where the first 丿 stroke is omitted and the second 丿 stroke is written as a 丨 stroke) is an ancient form of 侯 (hóu).

Han compound

(historical) pentad (ancient time unit composed of five days)


倒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *taːwʔ, *taːws): semantic 亻 + phonetic 到 (OC *taːws).

Han compound

upside down; inverted; flipped; reversed

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Tā dào zìjǐ de dìfāng lái, zìjǐ de rén dào bù jiēdài tā.

他到自己的地方來，自己的人倒不接待他。

他到自己的地方来，自己的人倒不接待他。

contrary to expectation; conversely; on the contrary; instead

particle used after a ‹verb + 得› structure to indicate it is contrary to the actual situation, implying blame; then


偶

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋoːʔ, *ŋoːs): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 禺 (OC *ŋo, *ŋos) – a statue of a person, an idol.

Han compound

(slang, cute-sounding) Pronunciation spelling of 我.


允

Oracle bone script: Pictogram (象形) – a person with the head emphasized, indicating a nod.
Bronze inscriptions onward (corrupted form): Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lunʔ): phonetic 㠯 (OC *lɯʔ) + semantic 儿 (“person”).
Schuessler (2007) minimally reconstructs *winʔ or *junʔ:
* If *junʔ, then possibly related to Burmese ယုံ (yum, “to believe”); if so, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *yum (“to believe”); other cognates would then be Asho Chin yón-é, Mara Chin zó, Lahu ʑo³¹.
* If *winʔ, then 信 (OC *hljins) (minimally reconstructed *sin(s)) is its possible derivative.

Han compound

公允

^† fair; just; equitable; even-handed; impartial


使

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *srɯʔ, *srɯs): semantic 亻 + phonetic 吏 (OC *rɯs). However, the phonetic component should add part of the meaning since it represents a hand holding perhaps a flag to mean "representative, ambassador".
Compare Burmese စေ (ce, “to order, send someone on an errand”) (Luce, 1981).

cog

駛:sai2; Cantonese “need”
洗:sai2; Cantonese “need”
駛:sái; Hokkien “to fuck”

At night [the earl of Zheng] sent Zu of Zhai to comfort the king, and to ask after the welfare of his officers.

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

Yè, Zhèng bó shǐ Jì Zú láo wáng, qiě wèn zuǒyòu.

夜，鄭伯使祭足勞王，且問左右。

夜，郑伯使祭足劳王，且问左右。

He had 3000 retainers, and the income from his fief was not enough to support his retainers. Thus, he dispatched people to provide loans in Xue.

Qí shíkè sānqiān rén, yìrù bù zúyǐ fèng kè, shǐ rén chūqián yú Xuē.

其食客三千人，邑入不足以奉客，使人出錢於薛。

其食客三千人，邑入不足以奉客，使人出钱于薛。

to order (somebody to do something); to send (somebody)

This sudden news caused him great shock.

Zhè tūrúqílái de xiāoxī shǐ tā dàwéi zhènjīng.

這突如其來的消息使他大為震驚。

这突如其来的消息使他大为震惊。

I think he should be consulted on all military affairs. This can certainly make the troops harmonious and put the good and the bad in their proper places.

227, 諸葛亮 (Zhūgě Liàng) (Zhuge Liang), 前出師表 (Former Chu Shi Biao)

Yú yǐwèi yíng zhōng zhī shì, xī yǐ zī zhī, bì néng shǐ xíngzhèn hémù, yōuliè dé suǒ.

愚以爲營中之事，悉以咨之，必能使行陣和睦，優劣得所。

愚以为营中之事，悉以咨之，必能使行阵和睦，优劣得所。

Before winning while sending out his troops, he died / Eternally making heroes cry all over their sleeves.

Chūshī wèi jié shēn xiān sǐ, cháng shǐ yīngxióng lèi mǎn jīn.

出師未捷身先死，長使英雄淚滿襟。

出师未捷身先死，长使英雄泪满襟。

2021 July 14, 周忠和, 武向平, 王挺, “推动科学素质建设迈上新台阶”, in People's Daily, page 5:

The scientific spirit is an effective weapon that makes people cast off ignorance and blind beliefs. It is a strong force that drives forward the progress of society.

Kēxuéjīngshén shì shǐ rén bǎituō yúmèi mángmù de yǒuxiào wǔqì, shì tuīdòng shèhuì jìnbù de qiángdà lìliàng.

科學精神是使人擺脫愚昧盲目的有效武器，是推動社會進步的強大力量。

科学精神是使人摆脱愚昧盲目的有效武器，是推动社会进步的强大力量。

呢把刀幾好使

呢把刀几好使

Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16ᵗʰ century CE

嫂嫂，借扇子我使使。

Shǐ sǐzhě wú zhī, zé yǐ yǐ, ruò qí yǒu zhī, jūn hé miànmù yǐ jiàn Yuán yě!

使死者無知，則已矣，若其有知，君何面目以見員也！

使死者无知，则已矣，若其有知，君何面目以见员也！

你唔使攞咁多！

你唔使𫽋咁多！

Do you need to head out to buy things later?

nei⁵ zan⁶ gaan¹ sai² m⁴ sai² lok⁶ gaai¹ maai⁵ je⁵ aa³?

你陣間使唔使落街買嘢呀？

你阵间使唔使落街买嘢呀？

仲使講嘅？

仲使讲嘅？

(Cantonese, always negated or interrogative) need to [do something]; have to

(Quanzhou and Philippine Hokkien, vulgar) to fuck


剪

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

Originally 𣦃 and then stylized into 前, a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔslenʔ): phonetic 歬 (OC *zleːn) + semantic 刀 (“knife”). Since 前 has replaced 歬, an additional 刀 has been added.

Han compound

剪草機

剪草机

剪刀

剪指甲


俗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ljoɡ): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 谷 (OC *ɦkroːɡ, *kloːɡ, *ɡ·loːɡ) – customs of people.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *luk (“custom; manner”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan ལུགས (lugs, “tradition; custom”).

cog

(Mainland China Hokkien) boring; dull; uninteresting; drab


刨

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bruː): phonetic 包 (OC *pruː) + semantic 刀 (“knife”).

Han compound

(Mandarin, colloquial) to deduct; to take away; to exclude


刨

/pʰaːu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/pʰaːu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

刨鉛筆

刨铅笔


冊

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

Pictogram (象形) – bamboo slips strung together. See also 侖, 扁, and 典. Similar but unrelated to 龠. The contemporary stylized form 册 is unrelated to 朋.

(Quanzhou and Xiamen Hokkien) to organize and stack neatly


倍

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

Han compound

Hence, when the ruler of the people loves them as his sons, they feel to him as a parent; when he binds them to himself by his good faith, they do not turn away from him.

Gù jūn mín zhě, zǐ yǐ ài zhī, zé mín qīn zhī; xìn yǐ jié zhī, zé mín bù bèi.

故君民者，子以愛之，則民親之；信以結之，則民不倍。

故君民者，子以爱之，则民亲之；信以结之，则民不倍。

Alternative form of 背 (“to give up; to betray; to violate; to have one's back towards”)


刊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰaːn): phonetic 干 (OC *kaːn) + semantic 刀 (“knife”).

Han compound

Nǎi suì fēng shān kān shí, zhāo míng shàngdé.

乃遂封山刊石，昭銘上德。

乃遂封山刊石，昭铭上德。


來

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (來):
* → Japanese: 来(らい) (rai)
* → Korean: 래(來) (rae)
* → Vietnamese: lai (來)

Shuowen
Warring States period
Western Zhou

Pictogram (象形) of wheat – original character of 麥 (OC *mrɯːɡ, “wheat”) or 麳 (OC *rɯː, “wheat”). The line in the middle represents the ear, the two lines pointing upwards represent leaves, and the lines pointing downwards represent the stem and roots. An additional horizontal line was often added at the top end of the character, possibly used to emphasize the ear of the wheat. Compare 禾; both are unrelated to 釆
This character has been borrowed for “to come” since the oracle bone script. During the Western Zhou and Warring States periods, additional semantic components, such as 止 (“foot”) or 辵 (“to walk”), were added to differentiate the original sense from the borrowed sense. However, these additions were not inherited in later scripts.
Some consider the derivative 麥 from the addition of 夊 (“to walk slowly”) to be the original form for the meaning “to come”. If so, their meanings have interchanged due to frequent use of 來 for “to come”.
Shuowen connects “wheat” and “to come” from a mythological standpoint: 天所來也 (“it comes from the heavens”). This may be supported by archaeological evidence, which suggests that wheat is not native to China, but originated in the Fertile Crescent.
來 and 麥 have both been reconstructed to begin with *mr- in Old Chinese. The former retains the liquid as /l/, while the latter retains the nasal /m/.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *la-j ~ ra (“to come”) (STEDT). Cognate with 迨 (OC *l'ɯːʔ, “to reach; until”), 賚 (OC *rɯːs, “to bestow”), Burmese လာ (la, “to come”). Also cognate with 蒞 (OC *rɯbs, “to arrive”) according to Schuessler (2007).

inh

来
𧼛
倈
逨
徠
来
麳
䅘

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 來 (MC loj)


像

/t͡ɕʰiaŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰi̯oŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²⁴²/

/t͡sʰi̯æn²¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯æn²¹/

/t͡ɕʰiaŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰi̯oŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²⁴²/

/t͡sʰi̯æn²¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯æn²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ljaŋʔ): semantic 亻 (“man”) + phonetic 象 (OC *ljaŋʔ, “elephant; image”).
Traditionally thought to be the same word as Old Chinese 象 (*ljaŋʔ, “elephant”) (Han Feizihttps://ctext.org/hanfeizi/jie-lao#n2005, Karlgren, 1957).
Schuessler (2007) posits that Old Chinese *z- and *s-l- / *s-j- might have merged in Zuo Zhuan and thinks Old Chinese 像 (*ljaŋʔ, “image”) possibly derives from Sino-Tibetan root *la, making it cognate with Tibetan ལད་མོ (lad mo, “imitation, to imitate, mimic”) & ལྷ (lha, “gods, image of a deity”) (however, see there for other etymology), Lepcha ᰗᰰ (klan, “similar”) & ᰗᰰᰜᰶ (klan-lă, “imitation”), Jingpho [script needed] (sum³¹-la³³, “picture, image”) & [script needed] (num³¹-la³³, “ghost”). Geilich (1994) adds Tibetan ལྡེམ (ldem, “statue, idol”) yet connects the Tibeto-Burman items to Old Chinese 似 (*ljɯʔ).
Doublet of 佯 (yáng, “to feign”) and 樣／样 (yàng, “appearance”).

doublet

to take for example; for example; for instance; such as


免

Pictogram (象形) – a man wearing a ceremonial hat. Then borrowed for abstract meanings. The derivative 冕 (OC *mronʔ) refers to the original word.
See also 敖, 冒, and 美.

(Southern Min) it is not necessary; there is no need


文

Characters in the same phonetic series (文) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事): a man with a painted or tattooed chest – original form of 紋. The tattoo was usually a cross, a V shape or a stylized heart. In current form, tattoo has vanished, so simply an outline of a man (head, outstretched arms, legs, chest) similar to 立. Compare 大, which has no chest.
Unrelated to the Kangxi radicals 齐 and 攵.
Possibly a derivation, with -n nominal suffix, of 煤 (*mɯː) "soot (obs.), ink (obs.), coal" (Schuessler, 2007).
Semantic shift: "pattern, tattoo (made of soot)", "written glyph (made of ink)" > "literature" > "refined, cultured" (Schuessler, 2007).

Han etyl

半文半白


勛

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


兜

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 𠑹 (“cover”) + 皃 (“head”): a helmet.
Baxter and Sagart (2014) suggests a connection to 頭 (OC *[m-t]ˤo, “head”). See there for more.

You've gone too far with what you said. There's no way to get it right.

nei⁵ gong² dou³ gam³ lei⁴ pou², ji⁴ gaa¹ dim² dau¹ dou¹ dau¹ m⁴ faan¹.

你講到咁離譜，而家點兜都兜唔返。

你讲到咁离谱，而家点兜都兜唔返。

(Cantonese) to explain one's way out of a bad situation

兩兜冷飯／两兜冷饭 [Cantonese] ― loeng⁵ dau¹ laang⁵ faan⁶ [Jyutping] ― two containers of leftover rice

(Cantonese) Classifier for things put in a flat or shallow container.

(Cantonese) to scoop with a flat or shallow container


勵

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *m·rads): phonetic 厲 (OC *m·rads) + semantic 力.


白

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (白):
* → Japanese: 白(はく) (haku)
* → Korean: 백(白) (baek)
* → Jeju: 벡 (bek)
* → Vietnamese: bạch (白)

→ Proto-Southwestern Tai: *pʰɯəkᴰ¹ᴸ

Lao: ເຜືອກ (phư̄ak)

Thai: เผือก (pʉ̀ʉak)

→ Proto-Vietic: *baːk

Vietnamese: bạc

desc

→ Vietnamese: bệch (“chalky; sickly white”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (白) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Unclear; probably a pictogram (象形).
Guo (1954) suggests that it represents a thumb and is original form of 拇 (*mɯʔ) or, more probably, 擘 (*preːɡ).
Alternatively, Unger (apud Schuessler, 2007) suggests that it represents an acorn, noting its use in 樂／乐 (“oak”) (= 櫟／栎) and 皂 (zào, “acorn”). In this interpretation, the meaning of “white” is derived from the color of an acorn's inside. Unrelated to the top component of 原.
STEDT derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bawk (“white”), whence also Proto-Bodo-Garo *bok (“white”), Limbu ᤑ (phô, “white”); also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *kɓɔɔk (“white, grey”).
However, Schuessler (2007) finds it difficult to reconcile these forms with Middle Chinese due to the lack of medial r. Instead, he proposes a derivation from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bar (“white”) with -k extension, thus cognate with 皤 (OC *baːl, “white”) (Wang, 1982), Mizo vâr (“(to be) white”), Proto-Karen *ʔ(b)wa (“white”).

Han etyl

In regard to all others who have died prematurely and have left no offspring, the sacrifice is offered to them in the house of the oldest son, where the apartment is the most light, with the vases in the chamber on the east. This is what is called the bright satisfying offering.

Fánshāng yǔ wúhòu zhě, jì yú zōngzǐ zhī jiā, dāng shì zhī bái, zūn yú dōng fáng, shì wèi yángyàn.

凡殤與無後者，祭於宗子之家，當室之白，尊於東房，是謂陽厭。

凡殇与无后者，祭于宗子之家，当室之白，尊于东房，是谓阳厌。

The cups and plates leaned against one another in the boat, and we did not know the East has already turned bright white.

Xiàngyǔ zhěnjiè hū zhōu zhōng, bù zhī dōngfāng zhī jì bái.

相與枕藉乎舟中，不知東方之既白。

相与枕借乎舟中，不知东方之既白。

Short for 白讀／白读 (báidú, “colloquial reading”).

白崇禧

(～族) Bai, an ethnic group living primarily in Yunnan, China


劑

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zliːls, *ʔslel): phonetic 齊 (OC *zliːl, *zliːls) + semantic 刂.
From 齊 (OC *zliːl, *zliːls, “orderly”).


側

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsrɯɡ): semantic 亻 + phonetic 則 (OC *ʔsɯːɡ).

Han compound

to lean to one side; to incline; to slant


冤

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 冖 (“cover”) + 兔 (“rabbit”).


劍

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (劍):
* → Japanese: 剣(けん) (ken)
* → Korean: 검(劍) (geom)
* → Vietnamese: kiếm (劍)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kams): phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam) + semantic 刂.
Schuessler (2007) proposes a possible native origin, from *k-nominalized adjective 剡 (OC *ɦljamʔ, *lamʔ), which is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-rjam (“sharp”) and lost its *r- initial due to folk etymology; doublets 磏 (OC *r(i)am, “whetstone”) and 鐮 (OC *ɡ·rem, “sickle”) retain *r-.
Alternatively, the double-edged sword seemingly originated from the southern state of Wu (吳); so a native Wu term, of unknown linguistic affiliation, might have yielded both Old Chinese 劍 (OC *kams) and Proto-Vietic *t-kɨəm ( > Vietnamese gươm).

Han compound

剑
劎
劒
劔
𠠆
鐱
釼
剣
𠝏
剱


傳

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (傳):
* → Korean: 전(傳) (jeon)
* → Vietnamese: truyền (傳)

→ Vietnamese: chuyền

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tons, *don, *dons): semantic 人 (“man”) + phonetic 專 (OC *tjon).
Related to 轉 (OC *tonʔ, *tons, “to turn around; to transfer”); see there for more.


丸

→ Vietnamese: viên

Ideogram (指事), differentiated form of 夗 (OC *qonʔ), which was originally the same character.
Shuowen suggests that it is an ideogram (指事) from flipped 仄 (“to tilt”) – something that can be tilted and turned; something round.
Unrelated to the right component of characters like 執 and 孰, which comes from 丮 (a kneeling person with stretched arms to indicate "to hold").

Classifier for pills of Chinese medicine.


剝

→ Proto-Tai: *poːkᴰ (“peel”)

Lao: ປອກ (pǭk, “peel”)

desc

Lü: ᦔᦸᧅᧈ (ṗoak¹)

Lü: ᦔᦸᧅᧈ (ṗoak¹)

Shan: ပွၵ်ႇ (pàuk)

Thai: ปอก (bpɔ̀ɔk, “peel”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *proːɡ): phonetic 彔 (OC *b·roːɡ) + semantic 刀.

Han compound

to fall off; to erode; to come off (of skin, paint, etc。)


列

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 歹 (“skeletal remains”) + 刀 (“knife”) – to tear apart.

(Mainland China) column (in data tables)

(Mainland China) Short for 列寧／列宁 (Lièníng, “Lenin”).


優

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qu): semantic 亻 + phonetic 憂 (OC *qu).


剎

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰraːd): phonetic 殺 (OC *sreːds, *sreːd) + semantic 刂.
Transcription of the kṣV (क्ष) sequence in various Sanskrit words, probably via Khotanese or Gandhari 𐨐𐨿𐨮 (kṣ /*tʂ(ə), *ʈʂ(ə)/) (Bailey, 1946), including:
* Sanskrit क्षेत्र (kṣetra, “land; place of pilgrimage”) (剎多羅)
* Sanskrit क्षण (kṣaṇa, “instant (in time)”) (剎那)
* Sanskrit क्षेम (kṣema, “residence”) (剎摩)
* Sanskrit क्षत्रिय (kṣatriya, “warrior caste; kshatriya”) (剎怛利耶, 剎帝利, 剎利)

noncog

古剎

古刹

(Buddhism) place of pilgrimage; kshetra; Buddhist temple; Buddhist monastery; pagoda


令

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (令):
* → Japanese: 令(りょう) (ryō); 令(れい) (rei)
* → Vietnamese: lệnh (令), lành (令)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 亼 + 卩. The upper part is an open mouth to convey the idea of giving orders, while the bottom part is a kneeling man. Compare 兄, in which an open mouth on top of the character conveys the same idea of giving orders.
Usually thought to be related to 命 (OC *mreŋs, “order”) (Schuessler, 2007). As a surname, 令 has many origins, one of them is 令狐 (Línghú).


凝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋrɯŋ, *ŋrɯŋs): semantic 冫 (“ice”) + phonetic 疑 (OC *ŋɯ)
Possibly related to 冰 (OC *p.rəŋ, “ice”) (Baxter & Sagart, 2014); if so, also related to 凌 (OC *[r]əŋ ~ p.rəŋ, “ice”) and from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-p(w)am (“to freeze; snow”) (provisionally reconstructed) (STEDT); other comparanda are 雱 (OC *pʰˁaŋ) "heavy snowfall", and 霙 (OC *ʔraŋ) "sleet, snowflake".

och-l

*􂀿r􂁀əŋ ~ p.rəŋ

inh

(Xiamen and Quanzhou Hokkien, of eyes) not moving; staring blankly


匝

Originally written 帀, see there for more.

2002, 李榮 (Li Rong), chief editor, 《現代漢語方言大詞典》 [Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects], Nanjing: Jiangsu Education Publishing House, →ISBN, page 890

huô dâung siŏh-cák bô-*dâung siŏh-cák / [huɔ²⁴² tɑuŋ²⁴² suoʔ⁵⁻²¹ ^((t͡s-))ʒɑʔ²⁴ pu²⁴²⁻⁵³ tɑuŋ²⁴² suoʔ⁵⁻²¹ ^((t͡s-))ʒɑʔ²⁴]

雨逿一匝復逿一匝

雨𰺲一匝复𰺲一匝

(dialectal) Classifier for times, as in frequency.


兔

Pictogram (象形) – a rabbit.
Probably Sino-Tibetan; compare Japhug qala (“rabbit”) (with animal prefix qa-), Lisu ꓕꓳꓽ ꓡꓻ (tʰò lɑ) (Schuessler, 2007; Zhang et al., 2019).

cog

Lisu ꓕꓳꓽ ꓡꓻ (tʰò lɑ)

Short for 伏兔 (“a component of a chariot”).


刻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰɯːɡ): phonetic 亥 (OC *ɡɯːʔ) + semantic 刀.

Han compound

(historical) ¹⁄₁₀₀ of one day; 14.4 minutes

A unit of time.
¹⁄₁₀₀ of one day; 14.4 minutes

A unit of time.
(modern) quarter of an hour; 15 minutes

A unit of time.
quarter of an hour; 15 minutes


勉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mronʔ): phonetic 免 (OC *mronʔ) + semantic 力 (“strong”) – make a strong effort.


刑

Originally written as 㓝, phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡeːŋ): phonetic 井 (OC *skeŋʔ) + semantic 刂. Later corrupted as 𠛬 (⿰幵刂), phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡeːŋ): phonetic 幵 (OC *kŋeːn) + semantic 刂.

Han compound

^† to set an example; to follow an example


價

→ Lao: ຄ່າ (khā)

→ Thai: ค่า (kâa)

→ Zhuang: gyaq

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraːs): semantic 人 + phonetic 賈 (OC *kraːʔ, *kraːs, *klaːʔ, “sell”).
Perhaps related to 賈 (OC *kraːʔ, *kraːs, *klaːʔ, “to sell”).


匡

Pictogram of a square-shaped bamboo basket (perhaps originally made to contain millet and rice); the inner component is 㞷, which today retains only the bottom component 王 as a phonetic element. The inner component The original form is 匩 and the original meaning is preserved in 筐.


勃

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bɯːd): phonetic 孛 (OC *bɯːds, *bɯːd, “power”) + semantic 力.


便

According to Shuowen, an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 亻 (“person”) + 更 (“to change”) – to change one's posture to make oneself comfortable.
Alternatively, this may be the original character for 鞭 (OC *pen, “to whip”), from 人 (“person”) + 𠓥 (“whip”), as seen in the bronze script.

to go a long way in; to serve the interests of; to benefit; to make convenient


制

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 木 (“tree”) + 刀 (“knife”) – to cut a tree. 木 was also written as the related 未.

A ruler should die for his altars; a great officer, with the host (he commands); an inferior officer, for his charge.

Guójūn sǐ shèjì, dàfū sǐ zhòng, shì sǐ zhì.

國君死社稷，大夫死眾，士死制。

国君死社稷，大夫死众，士死制。

(historical) edict of ancient Chinese rulers


再

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (再):
* → Japanese: 再(さい) (sai)
* → Korean: 재(再) (jae)
* → Vietnamese: tái (再)

Uncertain. There are some hypotheses:
* Xu Zhongshu: Bottom half of 冓, pictogram (象形) of a fish, then drawn in a similar way to 丙 (perhaps a fish tail). See 魚 and 丙
* Shizuka Shirakawa：Pictogram (象形) of tools used for weaving ropes.
* Ji Xusheng: Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 魚 (“fish”) + 二 (“two”) – to catch two fish at once (kill two birds with one stone). Compare the original version of 亟.
* Xu Shen: Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 一 (“one”) + abbreviated 冓 – same as above.
Cognate with 載 (OC *ʔslɯːʔ, “year”), 茲 (OC *ʔsɯ, “year”), 薦 (OC *ʔseːns, “repeatedly”), 洊 (OC *zlɯːns, “again; repeatedly”), 荐 (OC *zlɯːns, “repeatedly”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

再玩

一拖再拖

我再說一遍

我再说一遍

後來我再也沒見過他了。

后来我再也没见过他了。

Gone are the swallows, still there's a time they'll come again. Wilted are the willows, still there's a time they'll be green again. Withered are the peach blossoms, still there's a time they'll bloom again.

Yànzǐ qù le, yǒu zài lái de shíhòu; yángliǔ kū le, yǒu zài qīng de shíhòu; táohuā xiè le, yǒu zài kāi de shíhòu.

燕子去了，有再來的時候；楊柳枯了，有再青的時候；桃花謝了，有再開的時候。

燕子去了，有再来的时候；杨柳枯了，有再青的时候；桃花谢了，有再开的时候。


火

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (火):
* → Japanese: 火(か) (ka)
* → Korean: 화(火) (hwa)
* → Vietnamese: hoả (火)

Characters in the same phonetic series (火) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – pictographic representation of a fire. Written as 灬 when at the bottom of a character, but still seen in the original form in the character 灸.
See also the top component of 叟 in its original form and the bottom part of 赤.
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mej (Schuessler 2007; STEDT). However, see there for phonological problems.

Han etyl

(neologism) to become popular; to go viral


勸

→ Vietnamese: khuyên

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰyɵn²¹³/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰyɵn²¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰons): phonetic 雚 (OC *koːns) + semantic 力 (“strength”).

Han compound

勸告

劝告


信

Sino-Xenic (信):
* → Vietnamese: tín (信)

→ Vietnamese: tin

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and
phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hljins): phonetic 人 (OC *njin, “person”) + semantic 言 (“word”).
Schuessler (2007) reconstructs the Old Chinese minimally as *sin and suggests possible derivation from 允 (OC *winʔ, “to trust; to be true”).
Alternatively, Sagart and Baxter (2012) reconstruct *s-niŋ-s (*s-ni[ŋ]-s in Baxter and Sagart, 2014) and suggest a derivation from 仁 (OC *niŋ, “kind”) with the prefix *s-, probably used to increase its valency.

Han compound

我才不信呢。

信任


判

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰaːns): phonetic 半 (OC *paːns, “half (cow)”) + semantic 刂 (“knife”) – to cut fine distinctions 刀 (to judge, to discriminate). Phonetic (半) is also a cow cut in half, hence it adds part of the meaning.


伊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qlil): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 尹 (OC *ɢʷlinʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(h)i ~ *(h)aj (“this; here”). Cognate with Burmese ဤ (i, “this”).

inh-lite

𠁼
𰁢
𠈽
𦯴
𠜧
𠜰
佢
渠
夷

(～水, ～河) Yi River (a tributary of the Luo River in Henan, China)


叽

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/


兵

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 斤 (“a short axe”) + 廾 (“2 hands”) – a pair of hands holding a weapon. Unrelated to 丘.

Han compound

(Cantonese) Short for 觀音兵／观音兵 (guānyīnbīng).


凌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rɯŋ): semantic 冫 (“ice”) + phonetic 夌 (OC *rɯŋ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-p(w)am (“to freeze; snow”) (provisionally reconstructed) (STEDT).
:Insides Sinitic, 凌 (OC *p.rəŋ ~ [r]əŋ) is cognate with 冰 (OC *p.rəŋ), 雱 (OC *pʰˁaŋ) "heavy snowfall", 霙 (OC *qraŋ, “*ʔraŋ”) "snowflake, sleet", & possibly also 凝 (OC [ŋ](r)əŋ) "to congeal" (STEDT; Baxter and Sagart, 2014);
:Outsides Sinitic, cognate with Proto-Tani *pam (“snow”), Japhug jpɣom (“to freeze”), tɤjpɣom (“ice”) (STEDT; Zhang, Jacques, and Lai, 2019).
Alternatively, 冰 (OC *prjəŋ ~ prəŋ?) and 凌 (OC *b-rjəŋ ~ rəŋ) may be related to Old Khmer ប្រិង៑ (“to harden; to solidify”) from រិង៑ (“to dry up”), although the meanings are difficult to reconcile (Schuessler, 2007).

och-l

*p.rəŋ ~ 􂀿r􂁀əŋ

cog

to approach; to draw near; to close in on


劉

→ English: Liu, Lau

→ Tagalog: Lao

Emperor Yao
King Ding of Zhou
Kong Jia
Xia dynasty

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *m·ru): phonetic 卯 (OC *mruːʔ) + semantic 金 (“metal”) + semantic 刂 (“knife”).
Often written as 卯 (OC *mruːʔ) in the oracle bone script.
;kill, slaughter
;battle-axe
;surname
:Two origins are recorded: from 劉累 Liú Lěi, descendant of Emperor Yao and dragon-keeper of King Kong Jia of Xia; and from the Liu state (劉國) ruled by Duke Kang of Liu, younger brother of King Ding of Zhou.

Han compound

(～國) State of Liu during the Zhou dynasty


助

→ Thai: ช่วย (chûai)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zras): phonetic 且 (OC *sʰjaːʔ, *ʔsa) + semantic 力 (“strong arm”) – to help with one’s strength.


協

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɦleːb): semantic 十 (“many”) + phonetic 劦 (OC *ɦleːb, “to collaborate”).

Han compound

to cooperate; to work together; to collaborate


匯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷrɯːlʔ, *kʰʷriːl): semantic 匚 + phonetic 淮 (OC *ɡʷriːl).

Han compound

(literary, or in compounds) foreign exchange; forex; FX


刣

刣 (Kangxi radical 18, 刀+5, 7 strokes, cangjie input 戈口中弓 (IRLN), composition ⿰台刂)


冰

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pŋrɯŋ, *ŋrɯŋ): semantic 水 + phonetic 仌 (OC *pŋrɯŋ, *ŋrɯŋ).
The above vulgar character in Shuowen Jiezi is 凝.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-p(w)am (“to freeze; snow”) (provisionally reconstructed). Compare Proto-Tani *pam (“snow”), Japhug jpɣom (“to freeze”), tɤjpɣom (“ice”), and perhaps Tangut 𘒓 (*par¹, “to congeal”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007; Zhang, Jacques, and Lai, 2019; Jacques, 2014).
Within Chinese, 凌 (OC *rɯŋ, “ice”) and possibly 凝 (OC *ŋrɯŋ, “to congeal”) are usually considered cognates (STEDT; Zhengzhang, 2003; Schuessler, 2007; Baxter and Sagart, 2014). However, they are phonologically difficult to reconcile with the Tibeto-Burman cognates above (cf. Schuessler, 2007).
STEDT also includes 雱 (OC *pʰaːŋ, “heavy (snowfall)”) and 霙 (OC *qraŋ, “snowflake”) in the Chinese comparandum of Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-p(w)am.
Alternatively, this may be related to Old Khmer ប្រិង៑ (“to harden; to solidify”), from រិង៑ (“to dry up”), although the meanings are difficult to reconcile (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

仌
冫
氷
𣲝
𨻱
𣲙
仒


劣

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 少 (“little, less”) + 力 (“strength”). 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews) also functions as phonetic.

(literary, or in compounds) bad; poor; inferior


努

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *naːʔ): semantic 力 (“strength”) + phonetic 奴 (OC *naː) – exert one’s strength.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *nwar; cognate with Mizo nawr (“push, thrust, urge, compel, attack”) < nɔɔr & Mizo nawrh (“to sulk, to be displeased, disgruntled, offended”) < nuar ~ nɔrʔ ~ nɔrh, & Khami *nuar "get angry" (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

(dialectal) to inure oneself through overexertion

努屎 [Cantonese] ― nou⁵ si² [Jyutping] ― to strain to poop

(Cantonese) to push something out of the body by contracting abdominal muscles and increasing abdominal pressure


叟

Originally 叜. Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 宀 (“roof; house”) + 火 (“fire”) + 又 (“hand”) – hand holding a torch in the house – original form of 搜 (“to search”).
Since the clerical script, the top components 宀 and 火 have merged into the unrelated 𦥔.

Han compound

The king said, “Venerable sir, since you have not counted it far to come here, a distance of a thousand li, may I presume that you are provided with counsels to profit my kingdom?”

Wáng yuē: “Sǒu! Bù yuǎn qiān lǐ ér lái, yì jiāng yǒu yǐ lì wú guó hū?”

王曰：「叟！不遠千里而來，亦將有以利吾國乎？」

王曰：「叟！不远千里而来，亦将有以利吾国乎？」

(honorific) Term of address for an elderly man: sir


叮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *teːŋ): phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ) + semantic 口.
; “to microwave”
; “to disqualify”

Han compound

叮板

(Cantonese) unaccented beats (in Cantonese opera)


劇

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡaɡ): phonetic 豦 (OC *kas, *ɡa) + semantic 刀 (“knife”).

Han compound

76th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "aggravation" (𝍑)


卻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaɡ, *kʰaɡ): phonetic 𧮫 () + semantic 卩.

Han compound

却
㕁
𨚫
郤
⿰厺卩
⿰谷卪
𲆕

退卻

退却

推卻

推却

忘卻

忘却

了卻

了却

In consternation Zhou Yu said, "This man has snatched some method from the creative force of Heaven and earth, some unfathomable technic from the world of departed spirits. Why allow him to remain among us and cause trouble, when his elimination would save such great grief?"

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (translation by Yu Sumei)

Yú hàirán yuē: “Cǐ rén yǒu duó tiāndì zàohuà zhī fǎ, guǐshén bùcè zhī shù! Ruò liú cǐ rén, nǎi Dōngwú huògēn yě. Jí zǎo shāquè, miǎn shēng tārì zhī yōu.”

瑜駭然曰：「此人有奪天地造化之法，鬼神不測之術！若留此人，乃東吳禍根也。及早殺卻，免生他日之憂。」

瑜骇然曰：「此人有夺天地造化之法，鬼神不测之术！若留此人，乃东吴祸根也。及早杀却，免生他日之忧。」

(particle placed after monosyllabic verbs) to do away with


具

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 鼎 (“cauldron”) + 廾 (“two hands”) – to prepare food. A semi-conservative variant 𥃲 is similar but unrelated to 算.


勤

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡɯn): phonetic 堇 (OC *ɡrɯn, *kɯnʔ) + semantic 力 (“strong”) – to work hard, to be diligent.

Han compound

80th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "laboring" (𝍕)


功

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *koːŋ) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ, “labour; work”) + semantic 力 (“strength”). However, the phonetic part represents the concept of working, which is what basically leads to success.
Cognate with 工 (OC *koːŋ). See there for more.


勾

(literary, or in compounds) to collude; to conspire


卦

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷreːs): phonetic 圭 (OC *kʷeː) + semantic 卜. However, the phonetic component has a reference to a ritual since it represents a pair of ritual axes perhaps made of jade.

Han compound

卦辭

卦辞

octant (eight divisions of a Euclidean three-dimensional coordinate system)

卦限

divinatory trigram or hexagram of the I Ching


匣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡraːb): semantic 匚 + phonetic 甲 (OC *kraːb).


代

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (代):
* → Japanese: 代(だい) (dai)
* → Korean: 대(代) (dae)
* → Vietnamese: đại (代)

→ Vietnamese: đời (𠁀)

Second round of simplified Chinese characters

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'ɯːɡs): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 弋 (OC *lɯɡ)
;state's name → toponym
Most of the people with this surname in Mainland China were originally with the surname 戴 (Dài) and was a result of second-round simplification of Chinese characters.

Han compound

(grammar) Short for 代名詞／代名词 (dàimíngcí); short for 代詞／代词 (dàicí, “pronoun”).

代名詞

(historical geography) Short for 代國／代国 (Dàiguó, “state of Dai”).


卑

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 甲 (“fan”) + 𠂇 (“hand”) - a man holding a fan, indicating that he is a servant.
Note similarities to Burmese ပေ (pe, “to be soiled, dirty”).


乾

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-ka-n (“heaven; sky; sun”). Cognate with Tibetan མཁའ (mkha'), ནམ་མཁའ (nam mkha', “sky; heaven”) and Namuyi nɛ⁵⁵ ŋkhɛ³³ mu³³ (“sky”).

cog

nɛ⁵⁵ ŋkhɛ³³ mu³³

first hexagram of the I Ching, represented by the symbol ䷀


刷

/t͡sʰaːt̚³⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰat̚³³⁻²¹⁵/

/t͡sʰaːt̚³⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰat̚³³⁻²¹⁵/

Perhaps from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s(u/i)t (“to wipe, sweep, rub, scrub”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan བཤུད (bshud, “to wipe”), Burmese သုတ် (sut, “idem”) (though STEDT mistakenly puts down 恤 (OC *sqʰʷiɡ, “to sympathize, compensate”) for the Chinese character instead).

och-l

刷固件


勭

勭 (Kangxi radical 19, 力+12, 14 strokes, cangjie input 卜土大尸 (YGKS), composition ⿰童力)


勇

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (勇):
* → Japanese: 勇(ゆう) (yū)
* → Korean: 용(勇) (yong)
* → Vietnamese: dũng (勇)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *loŋʔ): phonetic 甬 (OC *loŋʔ) + semantic 力 (“strong”) – brave and strong.

Han compound

To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage.

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

見義不為，無勇也。

见义不为，无勇也。

Courage is that by which intent is daring.

勇，志之所以敢也。


動

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (動):
* → Japanese: 動(どう) (dō)
* → Korean: 동(動) (dong)
* → Vietnamese: động (動)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *doːŋʔ): phonetic 重 (OC *doŋ, *doŋʔ, *doŋs) + semantic 力 (“strength”). However, the phonetic component is a reference to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human being.

Han compound

动
㣫
働
勭
𡺍
𨔝
𭜀
𢳾

(grammar) Short for 動詞／动词 (dòngcí, “verb”).


剔

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰeːɡ): phonetic 易 (OC *leːɡs, *leɡ) + semantic 刀 (“knife”).


券

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɑɻ⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɑɻ⁵¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰons): phonetic 𠔉 () + semantic 刀 (“knife”) – contract. Ancient contracts were cut in half.

Han compound

(historical) title deed; deed of trust; bond; contract


假

→ Lingao: ke¹ (via Hainanese)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraːʔ, *kraːs): semantic 人 + phonetic 叚 (OC *kraːʔ).
; “to borrow; false”
: Cognate with Tibetan ཀར་སྐྱིན (kar skyin, “loan; thing borrowed”). An allofam is probably 雇 (OC *kʷaːs, *ɡʷaːʔ, “to hire”).

cog

to obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo

假道伐虢

假以時日

假以时日


作

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsaːɡs, *ʔsaːɡs, *ʔsaːɡ): semantic 亻 (“man”) + phonetic 乍 (OC *zraːɡs).
Derivative: 做 (“to do”) (the departing-tone variant).

Han compound

to arise; to come about; to happen; to occur; to break out


危

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 厃 (“person on a cliff or mountain”) + 卩 (“kneeling person”).
Written like 𡴲 during the Warring States period, an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 人 (“person”) + 山 (“mountain”).
Starostin reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋō̆j (~-ō̆l) (“high, rise”) and compares 危 to Burmese ငွား (ngwa:, “be large, great, be high, to project prominently above and beyond others”), Jingpho [script needed] (ŋoi, “to rise, as a hill”); & possibly Proto-Kiranti *ŋo-.
Schuessler (2007) notes that Chinese and Written Burmese can be reconciled by assuming an ST final *-l; furthermore, 危 (OC *ŋoi) may be a vocalic variant of 巍 (OC *ŋui), which in turn is related to 魏 (OC *ŋuih).

cog

危及


匠

desc

→ Proto-Southwestern Tai: *ɟaːŋᴮ² (“artisan; skillful”) (via Middle Chinese)

Thai: ช่าง (châang)

Northern Thai: ᨩ᩵ᩣ᩠ᨦ

Khün: ᨩ᩵ᩣ᩠ᨦ

Lao: ຊ່າງ (sāng)

Lü: ᦋᦱᧂᧈ (tsaang¹)

Shan: ၸၢင်ႈ (tsāang)

Phake: ꩡင် (caṅ)

Ahom: 𑜋𑜂𑜫 (chaṅ)

→ Zhuang: cangh (“someone in a particular profession”) (via Middle Chinese)

→ Khmer: ជាង (ciəng) (via Middle Chinese)

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰuɔŋ²¹³/

Traditionally thought to be an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 匚 (“box”) + 斤 (“axe”) (e.g. Shuowen).
In more recent scholarship (e.g. Zhengzhang, 2003; Baxter and Sagart, 2014), an alternative glyph origin has been proposed, suggesting that it is a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sbaŋs): phonetic 匚 (OC *paŋ) + semantic 斤 (“axe”).
Several etymologies have been proposed:
* Related to Tibetan བྱང (byang, “skilled”) (Bodman, 1980) or སྤྱང (spyang, “skilful; clever”) (Sagart and Baxter, 2012). These comparisons would require the Old Chinese reconstruction to have a *sb- initial, which is possible if 匚 (OC *paŋ) is considered to be the phonetic component. The Middle Chinese initial would be derived as such: *s.b- > *zb- > *bz- > *dz- (Baxter and Sagart, 2014).
* Schuessler (2007), who reconstructs the Old Chinese minimally as *dzaŋh, deems it more likely to be from Mon-Khmer, comparing it to Khmer ចាំង (cang, “to dress; to trim (wood)”) (Schuessler, 2007).
* Jacques (2015) proposes another Sino-Tibetan etymology, comparing it to Tibetan མཛངས (mdzangs, “wise; intelligent”), which is derived from བཟང (bzang, “good”). Under this hypothesis, it can be derived from 臧 (OC *[ts]ˤaŋ, “good”), which has been connected to the Tibetan word. He postulates the derivation to consist of the nominalizing circumfix *k- -s and the applicative prefix *N-, yielding *k-N-tsaŋ-s > *k-dzaŋ-s.


務

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (務):
* → Japanese: 務(む) (mu)
* → Korean: 무(務) (mu)
* → Vietnamese: vụ (務)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *moɡs): phonetic 敄 (OC *moʔ, *mos) + semantic 力 (“strength”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mow (“to work; to move”) (STEDT). Cognate with 懋 (OC *mus, “to strive”), Garo mo (“to move”), Jingpho mu ⪤ ə mu (“work; labor”), Burmese မူ (mu, “to pursue some course of action; to act”), အမှု (a.hmu., “lawsuit”).

cog

26th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "endeavor" (𝌟)


刃

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (刃):
* → Japanese: 刃(じん) (jin)
* → Korean: 인(刃) (in)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 刀 (“knife”) + 丶.


勁

/t͡ɕiɤ̯̃ɻ⁵¹/

/t͡ɕiɤ̯̃ɻ⁵¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kɯns, *keŋs): phonetic 巠 (OC *keːŋ) + semantic 力 (“strength”).
Perhaps related to 強 (OC *ɡaŋ, *ɡaŋʔ, “strong”).

Han compound

vigor; energy; strength (Classifier: 股 m)


午

Pictogram (象形) – a pestle (now written 杵). Unrelated to 干. See the central component of 舂 and 秦 in their original version.
Norman (1985) proposed connection with Austroasiatic; Ferlus (2013) noted a "[g]ood correspondence" between Proto-Vietic *m-ŋəːʔ (whence Vietnamese ngựa) and Old Chinese reconstructions like *m-qʰˁaʔ (Baxter-Sagart) and *ᵀs.ŋaʔ (Ferlus). Also compare Proto-Hlai *hŋaːʔ (“horse”), Proto-Kra *ŋja C (“horse”).
Alternatively, Smith (2011) proposed 午 (OC *ŋaːʔ)'s cognacy with 啎 (OC *ŋaːs) "to meet head on" and 御 (OC *ŋas) "to meet in (battle)" and suggested that "the moon at its full phase opposes the sun directly in the sky, meaning *ŋaaʔ 午 is probably to be glossed, given *-ʔ , ‘facing stage’". Schuessler (2007) regarded 午 (OC ŋâh) "to go against" as a mere graphic variant of 啎 and thus deemed the sense "to go against" distinct from the "earthly branch" sense.

(historical or astrology) the seventh year of the Jovian orbital cycle

(archaic) the fifth month of the Chinese traditional calendar

(historical or archaic) the "Chinese" or "double hour" from 11 am to 1 pm

the seventh of twelve earthly branches:
noon (precisely)


兒

Pictogram (象形): an infant with an imperfect cranium (i.e. fontanelle).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-ŋa-j (“small; inferior; offspring”) (STEDT). Cognate with Burmese ငယ် (ngai, “little; young”), Jingpho shangai (ʃă³¹ ŋai³¹, “to give birth”).
According to Schuessler (2007), it may be an area word; compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ŋa(i)k (“baby”), Proto-Bahnaric *ŋaː (“baby”), Khmer ង៉ា (ngaa, “infant; baby”). The word is also cognate with 倪 (OC *ŋeː, “small and weak”). 伢 is the southern dialectal form of 兒 (MC nye, “child; son”).

cog

儿
児
𠒇
𫤘
児
𠒇
𫤘

健兒

健儿

Suì xí gōngzhōng nǚ, jiē rú mǎ shàng ér.

遂習宮中女，皆如馬上兒。

遂习宫中女，皆如马上儿。

盆兒

盆儿

小狗兒

小狗儿

味兒

味儿

汁兒

汁儿

電影兒

电影儿

Suffix after nouns that does not indicate diminutiveness.

吃兒

吃儿

亮兒

亮儿

尖兒

尖儿

短兒

短儿

Suffix added to some verbs or adjectives to form nouns.

頭兒

头儿

白麵兒

白面儿

老家兒

老家儿

Suffix after certain nouns that result in a different meaning from the unsuffixed form.

慢慢兒

慢慢儿


加

Shuowen: ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 力 (“strength”) + 口 (“mouth”) — exaggerate; slander.
Sun Changxu: ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 力 (“plowing”) + 口 (“mouth”) — to put more effort. 口 here indicates exclamations or breath associated with the effort.
駕 (OC *kraːls, “to yoke”) is the exopassive of 加 (OC *kraːl, “to add; to attach”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Tibetan ཁྲལ (khral, “to impose a tax”), Burmese ကြား (kra:, “between”).

Han compound

美加邊界

美加边界

Used in transcription.
Short for 加拿大 (Jiānádà, “Canada”).


卓

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) of a child (子) with a type of flag (ㅏ) on its head. (Ji Xusheng, 2004)
The child is now written in a way similar to 早 in the modern script.
Derivative: 桌 (OC *rteːwɢ, “table”).


吟

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋɡrɯm, *ŋɡrɯms): semantic 口 + phonetic 今 (OC *krɯm).


割

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (割):
* → Japanese: 割(かち) (kachi); 割(かつ) (katsu)
* → Korean: 할(割) (hal)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːd): phonetic 害 (OC *ɡaːds) + semantic 刂.
According to Schuessler (2007), from Sino-Tibetan and an area word. Externally, cognate with Tibetan འགས་པ ('gas pa, “to split; to break; to burst apart”), Proto-Mon-Khmer *kat ~ *kaat (“to cut”), whence Khmer កាត់ (kat, “to cut”) and Proto-South-Bahnaric *kat ("to chop; to cut"). Within Chinese, cognate with 害 (OC *ɡaːds, “to harm; to injure”), and 犗 (OC *kraːds, “to castrate”), which is perhaps the r-causative of 割 (OC *kaːd).
On the other hand, STEDT compares it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d-ra-t (“cut; slash”), to which 害 (OC *ɡaːds, “to harm; to injure”), 犗 (OC *kraːds, “to castrate”), 剌 (OC *raːd, “to cut; perverse”) are also compared. Descended from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan root are Tibetan དྲ་བ (dra ba, “to cut”) and Burmese ရှန (hra.na., “wounded”).

inh

70th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "severance" (𝍋)


勢

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hŋjeds): phonetic 埶 (OC *ŋeds) + semantic 力 (“power”).
Nominalisation of 設 (OC *ŋ̊et, “to set up”), i.e. “that which is set up” (Schuessler, 2007; Baxter and Sagart, 2014). Compare the following quote from Han Feizi

Han compound

The setup (*ŋ̊et-s) of which I am speaking refers to what is set up (*ŋ̊et) by men.

Wú suǒ wéi yán shì zhě, yán rén zhī suǒ shè yě.

吾所為言勢者，言人之所設也。

吾所为言势者，言人之所设也。

去勢

去势


吏

Alternative descendant of 叓, which is the ancient form of 事. Furthermore, both characters are related to 史, which was born as a variant without the horizontal stroke on top.
The character should represent a hand holding a flag to mean "representative, ambassador"; see 使.
See 理 (lǐ, “envoy, jail official, matchmaker”).


全

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (全):
* → Japanese: 全(ぜん) (zen)
* → Korean: 전(全) (jeon)
* → Vietnamese: toàn (全)

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 入 + 玉 (“jade”) – a whole piece of jade; pure jade.
Cognate with 痊 (OC *sʰlon, “to become cured”) (Karlgren, 1956).


則

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 鼎 (“ding, a bronze cauldron for cooking or sacrificial rituals”) + 刂 (“knife”); hence, the original version is 𠟭. Perhaps its a reference to carving something (e.g., characters) with a knife on a bronze. Its original meaning was "rule; law".
鼎 was simplified to the unrelated 貝 in the Small Seal script. Compare 貞 (OC *teŋ, “to divine; righteous; firm”) (< 鼑), which underwent the same stylization.

och-l

则
𠞋
𠟔
𠟻
𠟭
则
積

conjunction used to indicate cause and effect; so; thus


吒

Used in names of mythological characters.


博

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *paːɡ): semantic 十 + phonetic 尃 (OC *pʰa).


勞

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): abbreviated 熒 + 力.


兩

According to Shuowen Jiezi an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 一 + 㒳.
Baxter (1992) observes that, in historical forms, the character is two 丙 (OC *praŋʔ) joined together; this would make 丙 the phonetic component in a sort of phono-ideogrammic compound (see also Baxter & Sagart (2014)).
The character could be linked to the original form of 更, which represents two chariots and a whip.
Unknown. Schuessler (2007) proposes two possible etymologies:
* Borrowing from Kra-Dai; compare Proto-Tai *rawᴬ (“we”) > Thai เรา (rao, “we”), Zhuang raeuz (“we (inclusive)”); Proto-Kam-Sui *hra¹ (“two”) > Southern Kam yac (“two”), Sui xgaz (“two”).
* Cognate with Tibetan སྲང (srang, “balance; scale; weight; unit of weight”).
Derivative: 輛 (OC *raŋs, “chariot”) (literally “that which is paired”, i.e. “a set of wheels”).

cog

两
㒳
𭃂
両
两
㒳
𭃂

(Mainland China) Short for 市兩／市两 (shìliǎng, “market tael, equal to 1/10 of a catty or 50 grams”).

市兩

(Taiwan) Short for 臺兩／台两 (“Taiwanese tael, equal to 1/16 of a catty or 37.5 grams”).

臺兩

Short for 公兩／公两 (gōngliǎng, “hectogram”).


剛

The moment he finished his work, the bell rang.

tā gāng zuòwán gōngzuò, líng jiù xiǎng le

他剛做完工作，鈴就響了

他刚做完工作，铃就响了


冒

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *muːɡs, *mɯːɡ): phonetic 冃 (OC *muːɡs, “hat”) + semantic 目 (“eyes”).
See also 敖, 免, and 美.
Original meaning was “to cover”.
Sino-Tibetan. Schuessler (2007) connects it with Proto-Sino-Tibetan *muːŋ ~ r/s-muːk (“sky, clouds, fog, dark, covered”), whence Burmese မိုး (mui:, “sky; rain; to hold something over the head; roof”), Tibetan མུ (mu), དམུ (dmu), རྨུ (rmu), སྨུ (smu, “(archaic) sky”).
Derivative: 帽 (OC *muːɡs, “hat”).

cog

Substitute character for 芼 (mào, “name of a vegetable”).


個

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (個):
* → Japanese: 個(こ) (ko)
* → Korean: 개(個) (gae)
* → Vietnamese: cá (個)

Wutunhua: -ge

→? Baba Malay: punya (semantic loan)

→? Vietnamese: cái

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːls): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 固 (OC *kaːs).
The semantics may have developed along the grammaticalisation process "bamboo stalk" (箇) > "piece, item" > "classifier for every category of noun" > "possessive particle, generic particle". If so, it would then possibly be cognate with 竿 (OC *kaːn, “bamboo, rod”). Compare Tibetan མཁར་བ (mkhar ba), འཁར་བ ('khar ba, “walking stick, staff”) and Thai ก้าน (gâan, “stem, stalk”).
; Southern Min classifier and possessive particle
; Wu classifier and possessive particle

Han compound

个
箇
个
的
亓
ㄟ
兮
ケ
亇

may use corresponding classifier in certain contexts

揀啊揀，揀著一個賣龍眼／揀啊揀，揀著一个賣龍眼／拣啊拣，拣着一个卖龙眼

kéng--ah kéng, kéng-tio̍h chi̍t ê bē lêng-géng

(dialectal Hakka, dialectal Min, dialectal Wu) one


內

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (內):
* → Japanese: 内(ない) (nai)
* → Korean: 내(內) (nae)
* → Vietnamese: nội (內)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 冂 (“city outskirts”) + 入 (“to enter”) – entering the city through its outskirts - inside, within.
Related to 入 (OC *njub, “to enter”); see there for more.

Han compound

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

(traditional Chinese medicine) internal organs


司

Inconclusive.
* Jì Xùshēng: a mouth 口 giving orders and a scepter 刁 of authority.
* Liú Xìnglóng interprets 刁 to be a hand instead.
* Táng Lán: Originally the same character as 后, which later diverged.
* Shuowen: 后 flipped.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *zə; cognate with Proto-Kukish *ca, Mru caŋ (“to do; to make”), and Tibetan མཛད (mdzad, “to do; to act”), མཛོད (mdzod), possibly also related to བཟོ (bzo, “work, labour”) (Schuessler, 2007). Schuessler disputes Löffler's (1966) proposed connection of these cognates to 作 (OC *ʔsaːɡs, *ʔsaːɡs, *ʔsaːɡ, “to do, work, make”) due to phonological difficulties.
Unger (1984) posits a possible relationship with Tibetan རྫི་པོ (rdzi po, “herdsman”).

och-l

to take charge of; to control; to manage


事

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (事):
* → Japanese: 事(じ) (ji)
* → Korean: 사(事) (sa)
* → Vietnamese: sự (事)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 又 (“hand”) + 中 (“flag or hunting weapon”) – flag in hand > to perform one's job. Compare 吏. Furthermore, both character are related to 史, which is a variant without the horizontal stroke on top.
Exopassive of 士 (OC *zrɯʔ, “to give or carry out an assignment; to serve”), literally “what has been assigned” (Schuessler, 2007).
Alternatively, based on Gong (2000), STEDT derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-dzas (“thing”), whence Burmese စာ (ca, “thing”) and Tibetan རྫས (rdzas, “thing, object, matter”).

cog

亊
叓
㕝
𠁱
𠫺
𠭏
𤔇
𪜃
𠭆

27th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "duties" (𝌠)


到

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *taːws): semantic 至 (“to arrive”) + phonetic 刀 (OC *taːw).

Han compound

遘
告
至
甲
各
格
𢓜
佫
徦
假
臵


到

遘
告
至
甲
各
格
𢓜
佫
徦
假
臵

(Hokkien, mahjong, playing cards) to complete a winning hand


仔

Hokkien á is a weak form of 囝 (kiáⁿ, káⁿ), as evidenced in older, less reduced forms such as giá (Dictionario Hispanico Sinicum; 彚音妙悟) or iá (Dictionario Hispanico Sinicum; Medhurst, 1832). (Mandarin and Cantonese pronunciations in words borrowed from Southern Min are from etymology 1.)

崽
子
子
囝
兒
亜
啊
也
兒
欸
之

Alternative form of 囝, especially when used as a suffix.


副

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰɯɡs, *pʰrɯɡ, *pʰɯɡ): phonetic 畐 (OC *pʰrɯɡ, *bɯɡ) + semantic 刂 (“knife”).

Han compound

(grammar) Short for 副詞／副词 (fùcí, “adverb”).

一副手套

a face (roughly, "a set of looks") with "villain" written all over it

一副小人嘴臉

一副小人嘴脸

Classifier for pairs, sets of things, medical prescriptions, facial expressions, etc..

副手

大副

(nautical) mate (an officer of the ship)

assistant; deputy
mate (an officer of the ship)


卷

捲
𠨟
𨤖
𠨟
㢧
𢎥
𨤖
𠨟
婘
𨤖


呆

; Etymology 1
; Etymology 2
; Etymology 3


即

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (即):
* → Japanese: 即(そく) (soku)
* → Korean: 즉(卽) (jeuk)
* → Vietnamese: tức (即)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 皀 (“ancient round-mouthed food vessel”) + 卩 (“to kneel”) – to come near to eat; to approach.

Han compound

在即


冬

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tuːŋ): phonetic 夂 (, “end”) + semantic 日 (“day”) or 仌 (“ice”).
;Bronze script and Chu slip script
:Composed of the early form of 終 (“end”, as well phonetic), here represented by Shuowen ancient script , + 日 (“day”). In bronze script, 日 () was inside . In Chu slip script, 日 () was below ().
; Seal script, Qin clerical script and after
:Composed of (“end”, as well phonetic) + 仌 (“ice”).
Possibly related to 終 (OC *tjuŋ, “to end”) (Wang, 1982, Sagart, 2023b). Sagart (ibid.) also proposes cognacy to Chepang त्युङ्हसा (tyuŋh, “at end, be weak, exhausted”), द्युमःसा (dyumʔ, “at ease after completing work”), द्युम्सा (dyum, “terminate, reach end; to be at end”), Jingpho chatum (“end, finish”), Limbu [script needed] (tum-ma, “ripe, mature”), Proto-Ao *a-thəm (“end, finish”).

cog

昸
㫡
𠔙
𣆼
𠘀
𣅈
𠘗


之

Characters in the same phonetic series (之) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 止 (“foot”) + 一 (“the beginning place”); compound meaning “to go”. It doesn't represent a sprout or a plant, as folk etymology claims.
The footprint pointing upwards became a point, as in the right component of 往 (which, in this case, is unrelated to 主).
; demonstrative pronoun "this; he; she; it"
; "to go; to proceed"

Han compound

† - may use corresponding classifier in certain contexts

As though you have said something to your parents but their reply has not yet come.

如語焉而未之然。

如语焉而未之然。

(literary) to go
(obsolete) to sprout; to come about

生命之道

北部灣之星——欽州

北部湾之星——钦州

Heaven will perpetuate its decree in our favour in this new city; the great inheritance of the former kings will be continued and renewed, and tranquillity will be secured to the four quarters (of the kingdom)

The Book of Documents, circa 4ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ century BCE

Tiān qí yǒng wǒ mìng yú zī xīn yì, shàofù xiānwáng zhī dàyè, dǐsuí sìfāng.

天其永我命于茲新邑，紹復先王之大業，厎綏四方。

天其永我命于兹新邑，绍复先王之大业，厎绥四方。

shēng zhī kuàiyuè jiāng dàitì le sǐ zhī bēi'āi

生之快樂將代替了死之悲哀

生之快乐将代替了死之悲哀

2019 May 17, 《司法院釋字第七四八號解釋施行法》

Dì-èr tiáo guānxì shuāngfāng dāngshìrén zhī zhùsuǒ, yóu shuāngfāng gòngtóng xiéyì; wèi wéi xiéyì huò xiéyì bùchéng shí, dé shēngqǐng fǎyuàn dìng zhī.

第二條關係雙方當事人之住所，由雙方共同協議；未為協議或協議不成時，得聲請法院定之。

2019 May 17, 《司法院釋字第七四八號解釋施行法》

第二条关系双方当事人之住所，由双方共同协议；未为协议或协议不成时，得声请法院定之。

(literary) Genitive or attributive marker

Indicates that the previous word has possession of the next one.

尺寸之功

In the kingdom of ten thousand chariots, the murderer of his sovereign shall be the chief of a family of a thousand chariots.

Wànshèng zhī guó shì qí jūn zhě, bì qiānshèng zhī jiā.

萬乘之國弒其君者，必千乘之家。

万乘之国弑其君者，必千乘之家。

2019 May 17, 《司法院釋字第七四八號解釋施行法》

Xiàngtóng xìngbié zhī èr rén, dé wèi jīngyíng gòngtóng shēnghuó zhī mùde, chénglì jùyǒu qīnmìxìng jí páitāxìng zhī yǒngjiǔ jiéhé guānxì.

相同性別之二人，得為經營共同生活之目的，成立具有親密性及排他性之永久結合關係。

2019 May 17, 《司法院釋字第七四八號解釋施行法》

相同性别之二人，得为经营共同生活之目的，成立具有亲密性及排他性之永久结合关系。

Indicates that the previous word modifies the next one.

Of all seeds, the best are the five kinds of grain.

五穀者，種之美者也。

五谷者，种之美者也。

Things that are sweet leave a sour aftertaste.

c. 13th century, various editors, A Collection of Conversations of Master Zhu (《朱子語類》)

物之甘者，吃過必酸。

物之甘者，吃过必酸。

particle indicating that the preceding element is specialised or qualified by the next

That we the Zhou migrated East — that was wholly reliant on Jin and Zheng.

Wǒ Zhōu zhī dōngqiān, Jìn, Zhèng shì yī.

我周之東遷，晉、鄭是依。

我周之东迁，晋、郑是依。

[Y]ou certainly are not a fish. That you do not know the happiness of fishes is a complete and valid argument.

Zǐ gù fēi yú yě, zǐ zhī bùzhī yú zhī yuè quán yǐ.

子固非魚也，子之不知魚之樂全矣。

子固非鱼也，子之不知鱼之乐全矣。

Despite that I will die, there will be children who survive me.

雖我之死，有子存焉。

虽我之死，有子存焉。

When the Grand Course was pursued, a public and common spirit ruled all under the sky.

大道之行也，天下為公。

大道之行也，天下为公。

subordinate clause
subordinate clause#English

(archaic) Particle infixed in a subject-predicate construct acting as a nominalizer or indicating a subordinate clause.


創

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɑuŋ²¹³/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɑuŋ²¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰraŋ, *sʰraŋs): phonetic 倉 (OC *sʰaːŋ) + semantic 刀 (“knife”) – wound.

Han compound

创
刅
刱
*剏
*剙
瘡
𠛂
𠛲
𠝀
𠞴
𠟐
𨱠
𠛝


召

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *dews, *djews): phonetic 刀 (OC *taːw) + semantic 口 (“mouth”) – originally, to call out (with one’s mouth) or to serve wine for guests. Part of the second original meaning is preserved in 招.
In the most ancient versions on some oracle bones, the character was totally different: it represented one or two hands over a wine vessel; the knife and mouth components were added later to this variant.


冇

Compare Saek [script needed] (phoong^(C2), “hollow; hole (in a tree, bamboo)”), Proto-Bahnaric *pɔːŋ (“hollow; flattened”) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

(Min, Hakka) unreliable; undependable; casual


削

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

Han compound

(historical) fief within three hundred li from the state capital


吞

Attested somewhat late (in Warring States period's texts).
Starostin reconstructs 吞 (OC *tʰən) derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dʱɨ̄n/ŋ (“to swallow, to drink”), whence also Tibetan འཐུང ('thung, “to drink”) & Lepcha ᰋᰩᰵ (thóng, “to drink”), which STEDT derives from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-tuŋ (“to drink, to suckle”); however, STEDT does not derive 吞 from or compare it to *m/s-tuŋ.
Schuessler (2007) compares it to several Kam-Tai words: Thai กลืน (glʉʉn), Ahom 𑜀𑜢𑜤𑜃 (k(l)en), Saek [script needed] (tlɯɯnᴬ¹), Proto-Kam-Sui *ʔdun, etc.

cog

Literally, “to swallow a jujube whole” > figuratively, "to accept without thinking; to read without understanding"

囫圇吞棗

囫囵吞枣

When Tzŭ-hsü was making his escape, a frontier patrol caught him. Tzŭ-hsü said: "The authorities want me because they think I have a beautiful pearl. Now I have already lost it. But I will say that you have seized and swallowed it." Thereupon the patrol released him.

Zǐxū chūzǒu, biānhòu dé zhī. Zǐxū yuē: “Shàng suǒ wǒ zhě, yǐ wǒ yǒu měizhū yě. Jīn wǒ yǐ wáng zhī yǐ. Wǒ qiě yuē zǐ qǔ tūn zhī.” Hòu yīn shì zhī.

子胥出走，邊候得之。子胥曰：「上索我者，以我有美珠也。今我已亡之矣。我且曰子取吞之。」候因釋之。

子胥出走，边候得之。子胥曰：「上索我者，以我有美珠也。今我已亡之矣。我且曰子取吞之。」候因释之。

The snake that can swallow elephants — How big must it be?

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

一蛇吞象，厥大何如？

If a fish that can swallow a boat be left dry by the flowing away of the water, then (even) the ants can trouble it.

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

Tūnzhōu zhī yú, dàng ér shīshuǐ, zé yǐ néng kǔ zhī.

吞舟之魚，碭而失水，則蟻能苦之。

吞舟之鱼，砀而失水，则蚁能苦之。

to swallow (to cause food, drink, etc. to pass from the mouth into the stomach)

Chu wanted to swallow / annex Song and Cheng yet feared Qi.

楚欲吞宋鄭而畏齊。

楚欲吞宋郑而畏齐。

Now Qin, a state of tigers and wolves, is united around the idea of swallowing / annexing Zhou; …

Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE

Jīn Qín zhě, hǔláng zhī guó yě, jiān yǒu tūn Zhōu zhī yì;......

今秦者，虎狼之國也，兼有吞周之意；……

今秦者，虎狼之国也，兼有吞周之意；……


厄

Alexander Lubotsky
Shuowen Jiezi
Wood#Knots

Possibly an ideogram (指事) of a person kneeling (卩), and a small stroke to accentuate the knee (now 厂). Not cognate with 戹 (“yoke”) but eventually they shared meanings.
Shuowen Jiezi interprets it as phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qreːɡ): phonetic 厂 (OC *hŋaːnʔ, *hŋaːns) + semantic 卪 (“joint; node”) – wood knot.
Probably related to 嗌 (OC *qleɡ, “throat”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Or borrowed from Tocharian B räk- and Tocharian A räk- (“to stretch, to spread”).


及

Sino-Xenic (及):
* → Vietnamese: cập (及)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 人 (“person”) + 又 (“hand”) – a hand grabbing a person.
Possibly connected to Burmese ကပ် (kap, “to arrive at”) or Jingpho khap (“to carry, to reach”) (Starostin and Peiros, 1996) or less likely to Tibetan འགྲུབ་པ ('grub pa) ~ འགྲུབ ('grub, “to make ready”), སྒྲུབ་པ (sgrub pa) ~ བསྒྲུབ (bsgrub, “to complete, achieve”), གྲུབ་པ (grub pa, “complete”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Possibly departing tone derivations are 暨 (jì, “to attain, to reach”), 迄 (qì, “to reach to”), and 既 (jì, “already”) (Yu, 1948, Baxter, 1992). However, see those entries for more.

Han compound

來得及／来得及

及時／及时

後悔莫及／后悔莫及

愚不可及

foolish beyond reach; unmatched foolishness

2022, 陳琰冰 [Yanbing Chen] (lyrics and music), “榮耀至高神 [Glory in the Highest]”performed by 讚美之泉 [Stream of Praise Music]:

King of glory, king of pow'r, above all, You're beautiful. [official translation]
Great King of glory and victory, Your beauty, no one can match [literal translation]

róngyào déshèng Dà Jūnwáng, Nǐ róngměi wúrén néng jí

榮耀得勝大君王 祢榮美無人能及

荣耀得胜大君王 祢荣美无人能及


余

→ English: Yu, Yue, Yee, Eu, Ee, Er

I will eliminate them before having my morning meal.

余姑翦滅此而朝食。

余姑翦灭此而朝食。

古之人不余欺也。


又

Pictogram (象形) – a right hand. Original form of 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, *ɢʷɯs, “right”). Unrelated to 𠬤 (> 译).
Often written as 彐 in many modern characters such as 事, 聿, 雪, 急, and 尹.
Adverbial derivation of 有 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, “to have; there is”) (Schuessler, 2007).

聰明又漂亮

聪明又漂亮

我又餓又渴。

我又饿又渴。

I want to go, but I also don't want to go, what should I do?

Wǒ yòu xiǎng qù, yòu bù xiǎng qù, gāi zěnme bàn?

我又想去，又不想去，該怎麼辦？

我又想去，又不想去，该怎么办？

Used to express the coexistence of several conditions or qualities; both ... and ...

四小時又十分鐘

四小时又十分钟

二又三分之一

Used between a whole number and a fraction

What good for you is there in doing that?

Zhèyàng zuò duì nǐ yòu yǒu shénme hǎochù?

這樣做對你又有什麼好處？

这样做对你又有什么好处？

Why should I care about that! It's not like I did it.

go² di¹ je⁵ jau⁶ m⁴ hai⁶ ngo⁵ zou⁶, gwaan¹ ngo⁵ me¹ si⁶ ze¹.

嗰啲嘢又唔係我做，關我咩事啫。

嗰啲嘢又唔系我做，关我咩事啫。

我又唔係冇錢。

我又唔系冇钱。

你又知？

Used in negative statements and rhetorical questions for emphasis


咒

魔咒 (mózhòu, “magical spell”)

大悲咒 (Dàbēizhòu, “Great Compassion Mantra”)

2023, “小林不動產”, 梁嘉茵 [Serrini] (lyrics), 林家謙 [Terence Lam] (music)performed by 林家謙 [Terence Lam]:

我 中了懶咒

我 中了懒咒


呂

desc

→ English: Lu, Lü, Lui, Lv, Lyu, Loo, Luy, Lou, Lew

Pictogram (象形) of two vertebrae. The character was later borrowed phonetically to mean "I; give" and modified and stylized into 予.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-ra-t (“bone”) (STEDT).

Lü, a state in China that existed in the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period


咐

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pos): semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 付 (OC *pos).


咿

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qlil): semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 伊 (OC *qlil).


凡

Pictogram (象形) – a plate, a flat dish. See also 風 and 同. Unrelated to 几.
Borrowed for abstract meanings. Another character 盤 (OC *baːn) was created to refer to the original word.
As an alternative, a bucket. If the character represents a bucket, part of its original meaning could be preserved in 同 and in turn in 筒 (OC *doːŋ, *doːŋs, “bucket”).
According to Schuessler (2007), Sino-Tibetan in origin; compare Mizo pum (“whole; all”), Burmese ဘုံ (bhum, “common, public, communal”). Cognate with 法 (OC *pqab, “law”).

cog

For all sons it is the rule: In winter, to warm [the bed for their parents], and to cool it in summer; in the evening, to adjust everything [for their repose], and to inquire [about their health] in the morning; and, when with their companions, not to quarrel.

The Book of Rites, c. 4ᵗʰ – 2ⁿᵈ century BCE

Fán wèi rénzǐ zhī lǐ: dōng wēn ér xià qìng, hūn dìng ér chén xǐng, zài chǒuyí bù zhēng.

凡為人子之禮：冬溫而夏凊，昏定而晨省，在醜夷不爭。

凡为人子之礼：冬温而夏凊，昏定而晨省，在丑夷不争。

Without him was not any thing made that was made.

新標點和合本 (Chinese Union Version with New Punctuation), 約翰福音 (John) 1:3

Fán bèi zào de, méiyǒu yīyàng bùshì jièzhe tā zào de.

凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著他造的。

凡被造的，没有一样不是借着他造的。

in general; every, all, any; indicates that the statement applies generally, to all cases.


吻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mɯnʔ): semantic 口 + phonetic 勿 (OC *mɯd).
Unknown. Various possibilities are (Schuessler, 2007):
* Related to 門 (OC *mɯːn, “door”);
* Related to Mizo hmûi (“lips; upper lip”);
* Related to Proto-Vietic *c-ɓuːj(ʔ) (“lip”) (Vietnamese môi);
* Related to Burmese မုတ် (mut, “mouth”) (in မုတ်ဆိတ် (muthcit, “beard”)) and မှုတ် (hmut, “to blow with mouth”);
* Related to Khmer មាត់ (mŏət, “mouth, lip”).

Han compound

吻合

(anatomy) proboscis; lip; corner of the lips

《再吻我吧》


哽

(Cantonese, figuratively) to accept forcefully


史

Pictogram (象形) – 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “hand”) holding a stylized flag almost identical to 中 (OC *tuŋ, *tuŋs) perhaps to indicate a representative or ambassador (see its variant 吏 used in 使 to mean "ambassador"). As an alternative, it holds either a pen or a hunting weapon resembling similar to 中. Hence, the inner component 中 is partly unclear.
The whole character originally indicates the act of taking notes; today, it means "history". Compare 事.
;"to send, to employ, to cause"
;"scribe, historian"
:Alternatively, Unger (1990) and Starostin & Peiros (1996) derived 史 (OC *srɯʔ) "scribe, secretary" from 理 (OC *rɯʔ) "to mark, to draw lines", which, while cognate with Tibetan འབྲི ('bri, “to write, to draw”), apparently never meant "to write, to record".

cog

史可法 ― Shǐ Kěfǎ ― Shi Kefa


勒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rɯːɡ): semantic 革 + phonetic 力 (OC *rɯɡ). Bridles are made of leather.


勺

/t͡sʰiaʔ¹²¹/

/t͡sʰiaʔ¹²¹/

Ideogram (指事): something (丶) in the ladle or spoon (勹).

Classifier for an amount held by a spoon or ladle: scoop; spoonful


吸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰrɯb): semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 及 (OC *ɡrɯb) – to inhale through the mouth. Note that 及 originally derives from “grab”, hence connotations of “grab through the mouth, inhale”.

Han compound

吸鐵石

吸铁石

異極相吸

异极相吸


厲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *m·rads): semantic 厂 + abbreviated phonetic 蠆 (OC *m̥ʰraːds).

Han compound

(Classical) Same as 礪／砺 (lì, “whetstone; to sharpen”).


叢

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zloːŋ): semantic 丵 + phonetic 取 (OC *sʰloːʔ, *sʰloʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *C-tsəw-k/ŋ (“to collect; to gather; to assemble”). Cognate with 聚 (OC *zloʔ, *zlos, “to collect; to store”), 族 (OC *zoːɡ, “clan”), 最 (OC *zloːds, “to collect; most”), 稯 (OC *ʔsoːŋ, “sheaf; bundle”) (Schuessler, 2007).

och-l

to collect; to gather; to assemble; to crowd together

一叢樹

一丛树

(Northern Min, Southern Min) Classifier for plants.


吼

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰloːʔ, *qʰloːs): semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 孔 (OC *kʰloːŋʔ).

Han compound

(Hokkien, Puxian Min) to cry; to sob; to weep


哊

(literary, rare, onomatopoeia) sound of vomiting or moaning


吉

→ English: Ji

Ideogram (指事) derived from a ritual axe 士 and an open mouth 口, perhaps with a reference to rituals to obtain the gratitude of the ancestors and deities.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-kjit (“happy; pleased”) (STEDT). Also compare Tibetan སྐྱིད་པ (skyid pa, “to be happy”) and Burmese ချစ် (hkyac, “to love, to be pleased”) (Schuessler, 2007, Hill, 2019).
Cantonese sense of “empty” arises from avoidance of 空 (hung¹), which is homophonous to 凶 (hung¹, “inauspicious”).
The Taiwanese Chinese sense of “to sue” arises from avoidance of 告 (gào, “to sue”), which is a typo form of it.

cog

(～縣) Ji County (a county of Linfen, Shanxi, China)


后

Oracle bone inscriptions often wrote 后 as 毓, depicting a woman giving birth. Wang Guowei posits the meaning extended from childbirth to succession, then to empress. In the modern form, the birthing figure would be 𠂆 and the child figure 𠮛.
According to Kōjien and 学研漢和大字典, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 人 (“person (variant form)”) + 口 (“hole”) — a depiction of a person's (人) anus, with the additional meaning of “behind”, “rear”, as well as coming to mean “emperor/empress”, who would live in a palace “behind” worldly troubles.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-gaw (“head”). Cognate with Tibetan གོ (go, “head; headman”), མགོ (mgo, “head, top, beginning”).

Han compound

王后


友

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 又 (“hand”) + 又 (“hand”) – two right hands meeting in friendship. Also phono-semantic (形聲／形声), from 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs).
Endoactive derivation of 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, “right”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Tibetan གྲོགས (grogs, “friend; companion”) (STEDT).


呈

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rleŋ, *l'eŋs): semantic 口 + phonetic 𡈼 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋʔ). The bottom component is not to be confused with 壬 (rén) or 王.


東

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (東):
* → Japanese: 東(とう) (tō)
* → Korean: 동(東) (dong)
* → Vietnamese: đông (東)

Japanese: 東(トン) (ton, “east wind (mahjong tile)”)

Jiajie (假借) and Ideogram (指事): 束 (OC *hljoɡ) or 橐 (OC *tʰaːɡ) borrowed for sound 東 (OC *toːŋ), whith a horizontal stroke added as a distinguishing mark to differentiate the character from 束.
Alternatively, it is also thought to be a pictogram (象形) of either a bundle of faggots tied together or a bag tied at both ends (like a cellophane-wrapped candy with the ends twisted).
Interpreted in the Shuowen Jiezi as an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) the sun (日) rising behind a tree (木). According to Allan (1991) p. 47-50, the character represents the Fu Sang tree. However, the original form is rather different, hence any interpretation tied to a tree is most likely a folk etymology.
See the top component of 曹 in the original version. See also 柬, 熏, 西 and 鹵/卤.
Cognate with Burmese ထွန်း (htwan:, “be bright”), Chepang थोङ्सा (thoŋ‑, “lighten; be bright”) and Chepang थोङ्ह (thoŋh, “awake time (as opposed to dream time)”) (Schuessler, 2007). Perhaps related to or influenced by 暾 (OC *tʰuːn, “rising sun”).

cog

東亞

东亚

東德

东德

房東

房东

股東

股东

大東

For the pronunciations of some Chinese characters, the Korean reading is correct and the Chinese is erroneous.

《古芸堂筆記/고운당필기》, 1790s

字音有東正而華譌者。


卜

Perhaps a pictogram (象形) of a crack in an oracle bone, used for divination in ancient China.
Officially adopted as the simplified form of 蔔 in the Chinese Character Simplification Scheme (《漢字簡化方案》) in 1956.
"Cracking" of a bone or tortoise shell in fire: "to divine by oracle bone" (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Galo -`buk (“to burst”), Galo -`puk (“to pop”), Mizo puak (“to explode; to burst”) (STEDT).


區

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (區):
* → Japanese: 区(く) (ku)
* → Korean: 구(區) (gu)
* → Vietnamese: khu (區)

→ English: qu

→ Zhuang: gih

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 匸 + 品 – Many people (品) are inside 匸.


唚

吣
吣
吢
斟
啿
親
吻
鐘
烝

(Hakka, Eastern Min, Southern Min) to kiss


冷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *raːŋʔ, *reːŋ, *reːŋʔ): semantic 冫 (“ice”) + phonetic 令 (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs) – cold as ice.
A vocalic variant of 涼 (OC *ɡ·raŋ, “chilly; cold”) (Schuessler, 2007).


售

to carry out (a plan); to achieve (something sinister)


吳

→ English: Wu, Ng, Goh, Ngo

→ Tagalog: Go, Wu

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

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 口 (“mouth”) + 夨 (“man with tilted head”) – to speak loudly.
; "to shout"

吴
吴
呉
𠯵
㕦
𡗾
𡗿

(historical) (～國) Wu, a state during the Western Zhou dynasty and the Spring and Autumn period

(historical) (～國) Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms

(historical) (～國) Wu, one of the Ten Kingdoms in eastern China which was in existence from 907 to 937

(～市) Kure (a city in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan)