您

Han dynasty
Jin dynasty
Sui dynasty
Tang dynasty
Yuan dynasty

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 你 (“you”) + 心 (“heart”). 心 (MC sim) may also phonetically signify the original -m ending (Yuan et al., 1996).
This character was not listed in Sui/Tang rhyme books. First attested in Jin/Yuan-era literature, when it was also written as 恁 and probably pronounced as *nim at the time (Lü, 1940; Norman, 1988). The pronoun was used both in the singular and the plural.
The pronoun used in Jin/Yuan-era literature is generally thought to be a fusion of 你們／你们 (nǐmen, “you (plural)”) or 你每 (nǐměi, “you (plural)”) (Lü, 1940; Norman, 1988). Compare 怹 (tān, “he, she (polite)”) ( < 他們／他们 (tāmen, “they”)).
The honorific usage may simply be a development of the plural usage (Norman, 1988); compare English you, French vous. However, others have argued for a different etymology for the honorific pronoun. Wang (1984) and Lü (1985) argue that it is a contraction of 你老 (“you (honorific for seniors)”): /ni lau/ → /nil/ → /nin/. Alternatively, Zhang (2001) suggests that it comes from 仁 (MC nyin), an honorific used in Buddhist texts from the Han dynasty.
In Cantonese and Hakka, this character is simply read as 你; in Teochew, it is read as 汝.

(polite, honorific, sometimes sarcastic) you (usually singular, may be plural)


拳

→ Bouyei: jianz

→ Khmer: គុន (kun)

→ Zhuang: gienz

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

/kʰyːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy̯e̞¹³/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

/kʰyːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy̯e̞¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡron): phonetic 龹 () + semantic 手 (“hand”) – a fist is a form of a hand.
From 卷 (OC *ɡron, “to bent; to curve”) (Schuessler, 2007; also cf. Baxter and Sagart, 2014).


斤

Characters in the same phonetic series (斤) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) - an axe.
;ax

Han etyl

(Mainland China) catty or jin, a traditional unit of weight, equal to 0.5 kilograms

(Hong Kong) catty or kan, a traditional unit of weight, legally defined as equal to 0.60478982 kilograms (公斤 or sometimes approximated as 500 grams)

(Taiwan) catty, a traditional unit of weight, equal to 0.6 kilograms, also equal to 16 taels

(The artisan) Shi whirled his axe so as to produce a wind, which immediately carried off the mud entirely.

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

Jiàng Shí yùn jīn chéng fēng, tīng ér zhuó zhī.

匠石運斤成風，聽而斫之。

匠石运斤成风，听而斫之。


暢

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰaŋs): semantic 申 + phonetic 昜 (OC *laŋ).


昭

/t͡sʰiːu̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰiːu̯⁵⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjew): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 召 (OC *dews, *djews).
照 (OC *tjews, “to shine”) is the exoactive of 昭 (OC *tjew, “bright”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Compare with Burmese တောက် (tauk, “bright, brilliant, shining”).

cog

(historical) the left side position of tablets in ancestral shrines


晶

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): Triplication of 日 (“sun”).
Likely related to 精 (OC *ʔsleŋ, *ʔsleŋs, “something polished”).


救

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (救):
* → Japanese: 救(きゅう) (kyū)
* → Korean: 구(救) (gu)
* → Vietnamese: cứu (救)

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kus): phonetic 求 (OC *ɡu) + semantic 攴.
Likely cognate with 求 (OC *ɡu, “to ask, seek”), Burmese ကူ (ku, “to help”) (STEDT).

Han compound

Zhǐyǒu mínzhǔzhǔyì nénggòu jiù Zhōngguó.

只有民主主義能夠救中國。

只有民主主义能够救中国。


戲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰral, *qʰrals, *qʰaː): phonetic 䖒 () + semantic 戈 (“halberd”), originally referring to the wing or flank of an army.
Cognate with 嘕 (OC *qʰran, “to laugh”), Tibetan ཀྱལ་ཀ (kyal ka, “joke; jest; trick”), Mizo khâl (“to play with”), Mizo inkhêl (“to gamble; to play”) (Schuessler, 2007).


斬

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (斬):
* → Vietnamese: trảm (斬)

→ Thai: จาม (jaam)

→ Vietnamese: chém

斬叉燒、斬雞

斩叉烧、斩鸡

斬樹

斩树

斬死人

斩死人

to cut; to hack; to chop (with a large blade, forcefully)


旦

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 日 + 丁, in which 丁 indicates the pronunciation.
According to Shuowen Jiezi, the sun (日) appearing over the horizon (一). However, this version is not the original one and this interpretation belongs to folk etymology. This simplification is the same that appears in 正.
Unrelated to the top component of 得. Also unrelated to 查.
Cognate with Chepang दारःदो (darʔ.do, “place of sunrise; in east”) (Schuessler, 2007). Unrelated to 丹 (OC *taːn, “cinnabar; red”).

cog

通宵達旦

通宵达旦


常

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (常):
* → Japanese: 常(じょう) (jō)
* → Korean: 상(常) (sang)
* → Vietnamese: thường (常)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djaŋ): phonetic 尚 (OC *djaŋ, *djaŋs) + semantic 巾 (“cloth”).
The character originally referred to a "lower garment" similar to a skirt, before being phonetically borrowed to mean "long-lasting; frequently". The original sense is now represented by the character 裳 (OC *djaŋ, “lower garment”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan; perhaps related to Tibetan ཡང (yang, “again, once more”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

51st tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "constancy" (𝌸)


普

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 並 + 日 (“sun”).
; “wide; universal”
; “man”

推普

普教中

using Putonghua as the medium of instruction for teaching the Chinese Language Subject

Short for 普通話／普通话 (pǔtōnghuà, “Putonghua”).

普奧戰爭

普奥战争

Used in transcription.
Short for 普魯士／普鲁士 (Pǔlǔshì, “Prussia”).

菊普 ― júpǔ ― chrysanthemum and pu'er tea

熟普

Used in transcription.
Short for 普洱茶 (pǔ'ěrchá, “pu'er tea”).


搭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tuːb, *tʰoːb): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 荅 (OC *tkuːb).

Han compound

(Southern Min) to put up; to build; to erect (something simple and crude)


敲

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɒu̯³³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɒu̯³³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰraːw, *kʰraːws): phonetic 高 (OC *kaːw) + semantic 攴 (“to hit lightly; to tap”).

Han compound

(Zhangzhou Hokkien) to compete (among businesses)


曠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰʷaːŋs): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 廣 (OC *kʷaːŋʔ).


挨

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qlɯːʔ, *qrɯː, *qrɯːʔ): semantic 扌 + phonetic 矣 (OC *ɢlɯʔ).

Han compound

您別挨這兒裹亂行不行？

您别挨这儿裹乱行不行？

Grandpa's playing the huqin; grandma comes to sing hill songs.

Â-kûng â, âi hièn-é, â-phò chhiu lòi chhong sân-kô.

阿公啊，挨弦仔，阿婆就來唱山歌。

阿公啊，挨弦仔，阿婆就来唱山歌。

(Hokkien, Hakka) to play (a stringed instrument)


映

Sino-Xenic (映):
* → Vietnamese: ánh (映)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qaːŋʔ, *qraŋs): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 央 (OC *qaŋ).
Denominal derived from 影 (OC *qraŋʔ, “shadow; image”) (Gong, 2019). The 上聲 pronunciations in Cantonese, Gan and Hakka come from 影 (MC 'jaengX).

Han compound

the hours of the goat (1:00pm to 3:00pm)


敗

→ Thai: พ่าย (pâai)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *praːds, *braːds): phonetic 貝 (OC *paːds) + semantic 攵 (“strike”).
Possibly Sino-Tibetan. According to Zhang, Shuya, Jacques, Guillaume, Lai, Yunfan (2019), the modern meaning of the word originated from a semantic narrowing of its original sense "to break", thus making it cognate with Situ ka-prāt (“to break”) and also Japhug prɤt (“to break”).

zh-ref

敗家

败家

身敗名裂

身败名裂

傷風敗俗

伤风败俗

Ruòzhīhé qí yǐ bìng, bài jūn zhī dàshì yě.

若之何其以病，敗君之大事也。

若之何其以病，败君之大事也。


朽

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰluʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 丂 (OC *kʰluːʔ).


旗

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (旗):
* → Japanese: 旗(き) (ki)
* → Korean: 기(旗) (gi)

→ Vietnamese: cờ

→ Zhuang: geiz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡɯ): semantic 㫃 (“flag”) + phonetic 其 (OC *kɯ, *ɡɯ).


曹

Originally 㯥 (cáo), an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): two bundles 東 on top. The original meaning is "pair; peer, same kind". Later, 囗 was added as a distinguishing mark, which corrupted into 甘 in bronze inscriptions and 曰 in Seal Script, thus getting the intermediate and semi-archaic version 𣍘. The top two 東 have merged and now resemble 曲 with an extra stroke.
Unrelated to 曲 and 典.

division department of the central government in ancient times

爾曹

尔曹

(historical) Cao, a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–221 BCE), covering roughly the area of modern-day Dingtao County in Heze, southwestern Shandong province


拍

/pʰaːk̚³⁻³⁵/

/pʰaːk̚³⁻³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰraːɡ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 白 (OC *braːɡ).

仙人拍鼓有時錯，跤步踏差啥人無／仙人拍鼓有时错，跤步踏差啥人无

sian-jîn phah kó͘ iú sî chhò, kha-pō͘ ta̍h-chha siáⁿ-lâng bô

(Hokkien, music) bamboo clapper for beating time in nanyin (made of two bamboo blocks)


曝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *boːwɢs, *boːɡ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 暴 (OC *boːwɢs, *boːɡ).


張

desc

→ English: Chang, Zhang, Cheung, Cheong, Chong, Teo, Teoh

→ Tagalog: Chang, Tiu, Tiong

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *taŋ, *taŋs): semantic 弓 (“bow”) + phonetic 長 (OC *taŋʔ, *daŋ, *daŋs).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/m/b-raŋ (“strong; firm; tense”) or Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(d/t)aŋ (“tense; tight”), the latter which appears to be preferred based on more current research (Hill, 2019, p. 224); compare Tibetan ཐང་པོ (thang po, “tense; tight; firm”), Burmese တင်း (tang:, “to tighten; to be tight”).
Pronunciation 2 is the exopassive of pronunciation 1, literally “to be stretched” (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

(Hokkien) to get angry; to lose one's temper


昌

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 日 (“sun”) + semantic 口 (“mouth”). The mouth is a reference to being awaken at dawn through shouts or songs. During the Warring States Period, 口 developed into 曰.
昌 (OC khlaŋ ~ thaŋ) is possibly related to 陽 (OC *laŋ), in which case it'd go back to *khlaŋ, supported by Proto-Vietic *hlaŋᴮ; note the phonetic parallelism with 唱 (OC k-hlaŋh) (Schuessler, 2007).
See 陽／阳 (yáng) for further etymology.


撥

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *paːd): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 發 (OC *pad).

Han compound

(transitive) to turn around; to move in a "waving", scattering way, including:


摳

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ku (“to take up; to lift; to prop up”) (Coblin, 1986; Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

inh

(colloquial) tight-fisted; stingy; miserly


彼

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (彼):
* → Japanese: 彼(ひ) (hi)
* → Korean: 피(彼) (pi)
* → Vietnamese: bỉ (彼)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pralʔ): semantic 彳 + phonetic 皮 (OC *bral).
Related to 夫 (OC *pa, *ba, “that”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

If a man brandishes his sword, looks fiercely, and says, "How dare he withstand me?" - this is the valour of a common man, who can be the opponent only of a single individual.

Fū fǔjiàn jíshì yuē, ‘bǐ wū gǎn dāng wǒ zāi’! Cǐ pǐfūzhīyǒng, dí yīrén zhě yě.

夫撫劍疾視曰，『彼惡敢當我哉』！此匹夫之勇，敵一人者也。

夫抚剑疾视曰，『彼恶敢当我哉』！此匹夫之勇，敌一人者也。

He made use of what did not exist as if it had existed, and therefore it was called pretension. If he declared to be existent what really existed, how would this be pretension?

Bǐ yòng wú wéi yǒu, gù wèi jiǎo, ruò yǒu ér wèi yǒu, fū qǐ wèi jiǎo zāi!

彼用無為有，故謂矯，若有而謂有，夫豈為矯哉！

彼用无为有，故谓矫，若有而谓有，夫岂为矫哉！

Chinese varieties in general do not distinguish gender

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

while 渠 is more common in other varieties


改

In the oracle bone script, a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klɯːʔ): phonetic 巳 (OC *ljɯʔ, *lɯs) + semantic 攴.
The interpretation linked to a child beaten or threathened by a stick in hand to indicate "correct, amend" referred to educating a child is probably folk etymology.
Since the small seal script, the phonetic component has been changed to 己 (OC *kɯʔ).
Related to 革 (OC *krɯːɡ, “to change”), 更 (OC *kraːŋ, “to change”) (Wang, 1982).

Han compound

I heard you've quit smoking and drinking

聽講你菸酒攏改啊

听讲你烟酒拢改啊

(Hokkien) to give up; to quit; to abstain from (a bad habit)


晨

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djɯn, *ɦljɯn) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 辰 (OC *djɯn, “time”). Originally written as 辰 alone; 辰 now refers primarily to one of the twelve earthly branches.
Endopassive of 震 (OC *tjɯn, “to shake”) and 振 (OC *tjɯn, *tjɯns, “to excite”), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dar ~ d(u/i)r (“to tremble; to shiver”), literally "to stir oneself" > "when life begins to stir" > "early morning" (Schuessler, 2007). Smith (2011) relates 晨 (chén, “early morning”) to 辰 (chén) < *dən, the original form of 蜃 (shèn, “mollusc, clam”) < *dəns, as the rising sun looks ovoid due to atmospheric refraction.


昆

Pictogram (象形) – the body and legs of an insect.
; “elder brother”
: Alternatively, it may be related to Middle Mon ကော (kao, “elder brother”), with nominal suffix -n added (Schuessler, 2007).
; “descendants; later”
; “many; numerous”
; “quetta-”
昆 is pronounced with aspirated initial /kʰ/ instead of the expected /k/ in the majority of modern varieties of Chinese. The /k/ sound in 昆 (MC kwon) was changed to /kʰ/ during its historical development to avoid homophony with 褌 (MC kwon, “underclothing”), a word that was historically in vernacular use (Hirayama, 2005).

晜
𥊽
㒭
𣋥
𧲟
蜫
䖵
坤

成昆鐵路

成昆铁路

(Mainland China) quetta- (SI unit prefix)


擊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *keːɡ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 毄 () – to strike with the hand.


擺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *preːlʔ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 罷 (OC *breːlʔ, *bral, *bralʔ).

Han compound

We will need to set out chairs for the meeting.

我們要為會議擺好椅子。

我们要为会议摆好椅子。

Zài yī zhāng zhuōzi shàng bǎi zhe yī pán qí.

在一張桌子上擺著一盤棋。

在一张桌子上摆着一盘棋。

She put the slippers under the bed neatly.

Tā bǎ tuōxié zhěngqí de bǎi zài chuángxià.

她把拖鞋整齊地擺在床下。

她把拖鞋整齐地摆在床下。

Many serious challenges still lie ahead.

Xǔduō yánjùn de tiǎozhàn hái bǎi zài yǎnqián.

許多嚴峻的挑戰還擺在眼前。

许多严峻的挑战还摆在眼前。

m⁴ goi¹ nei⁵ tung⁴ kei⁴ taa¹ di¹ je⁵ baai² maai⁴ jat¹ cai⁴.

唔該你同其他啲嘢擺埋一齊。

唔该你同其他啲嘢摆埋一齐。


暫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zaːms): phonetic 斬 (OC *ʔsreːmʔ) + semantic 日.

Han compound

暫別／暂别

temporarily; tentatively; for the time being


撈

→ Zhuang: lauz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *raːw, *reːw): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 勞 (OC *raːw, *raːws).

Han compound

捞
𠔠
捞
捞
攎
捞
捞
葫
⿰布瓜


愚

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (愚):
* → Japanese: 愚(ぐ) (gu)
* → Korean: 우(愚) (u)
* → Vietnamese: ngu (愚)

→ Lao: ໂງ່ (ngō)

desc

→ Thai: โง่ (ngôo, “ignorant; stupid; unintelligent”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋo): phonetic 禺 (OC *ŋo, *ŋos) + semantic 心 (“heart”) – stupid.

Han compound

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

Lord Mengchang said, "I don't understand what it means."

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

Mèngcháng Jūn yuē: “Yú bùzhī suǒ wèi yě.”

孟嘗君曰：「愚不知所謂也。」

孟尝君曰：「愚不知所谓也。」

I think they should be consulted on all court affairs, regardless of their sizes, before the court affairs are being put to execution.

yú yǐwèi gōngzhōng zhī shì, shìwúdàxiǎo, xī yǐ zī zhī, ránhòu shīxíng......

愚以為宮中之事，事無大小，悉以咨之，然後施行……

愚以为宫中之事，事无大小，悉以咨之，然后施行……


接

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (接):
* → Vietnamese: tiếp (接)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔseb): semantic 扌 + phonetic 妾 (OC *sʰeb) – to receive (in the hand).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsjap (“to join, connect”). Related to 際 (OC *ʔsleds, “connection, border”), as well as to Burmese စပ် (cap, “to adjoin”) (STEDT).
STEDT also adduces another family, with similar phonetics and semantics, which however does not appear to be related:
* 揖 (OC *qib, “to cluster together, crowd”)
* 輯 (OC *zib, “to gather up, fold up, be crowded together”)
* 集 (OC *zub, “to collect, come together, unite, accomplish”)
* 雜 (OC *zuːb, “variegated, mixed”)

och-l

接觸

接触

to come near to; to be close to; to come into contact


散

The original version visible on oracle bone script is 㪔, hence Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 林 (“trees, forest”) + 攴 (“to knock, to tap”), also written with hemp stalks 𣏟 (> 𢽳) or bamboo 竹 instead of two trees. The original meanings are "to clear a place from vegetation; to kill". The character later started meaning "to dissipate, to disperse" since bamboo in particular breaks easily into pieces; eventually, the meaning shifted to "to walk around, to stroll".
Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *saːnʔ, *saːns): semantic 肉 + phonetic 𢽳 (), written as 𣀙, in which 林 is well visible on top.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sjwar ~ g/b-sjwa-n/t (“flow; pour; scatter; spill; sow; broadcast”). Cognate with 撒 (OC *saːd, “to cast away; to let go”), 宣 (OC *sqʰon, “to spread; to proclaim”), Tibetan འཆོར་བ ('chor ba, “to escape; to flow out”), Burmese သွန် (swan, “to pour out; to spill”), Lahu šē (“to sow; to broadcast”), Lahu šêʔ (“to pour; to spill; to disperse; to sow; to broadcast”).

cog

㪔
𢽳
𢿷
𣀙
𢿱
㪚
撒
嘇
糝
剼

(Xiamen and Quanzhou Hokkien) casually; at random; carelessly; haphazardly; randomly; as one pleases; without restraint or goal


敬

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (敬):
* → Vietnamese: kính (敬)

→ Zhuang: gingq

Possibly ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 茍 (“kneeling person or sitting dog”) + 攴 (“hand holding a stick, authority”).
Cognate with 驚 (OC *kreŋ, “to be afraid; to scare”) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for more.


所

Sino-Xenic (所):
* → Vietnamese: sở (所)

→ Vietnamese: thửa

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sqʰraʔ): phonetic 戶 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ) + semantic 斤 (“axe”) – the sound of logging (the definition given in Shuowen).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/k-ra (“place”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Burmese ရာ (ra, “place”).
Baxter and Sagart (2014) relates it to 處 (OC *t.qʰaʔ, “to be at”), 處 (OC *t.qʰaʔ-s, “place”), 許 (OC *qʰ(r)aʔ, “place”).

Han compound

所以

what one uses; what one relies on; means > the reason why > therefore

所得

所見即所得／所见即所得

所長／所长

無所謂／无所谓

to be irrelevant (literally, "to not [have or be] what one can refer to [as]")

你所用的電腦／你所用的电脑

不知所云

令尹子庚，殹民之所亟。

Different phrasings were applied to what was witnessed, what was learned, and what was transmitted via tradition.

Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE

Suǒ jiàn yì cí, suǒ wén yì cí, suǒ chuánwén yì cí.

所見異辭，所聞異辭，所傳聞異辭。

所见异辞，所闻异辞，所传闻异辞。

The Western Count, about to go out on a hunt, divined it; it is said: "What will be caught will be neither horned dragon, nor hornless dragon, nor tiger, nor brown bear. Who will be gained will be an aide to hegemons and kings."

Xībó jiāng chū liè, bǔ zhī, yuē “suǒhuò fēi lóng fēi chī fēi hǔ fēi pí; suǒhuò bàwáng zhī fǔ.”

西伯將出獵，卜之，曰「所獲非龍非彨非虎非羆；所獲霸王之輔」。

西伯将出猎，卜之，曰「所获非龙非彨非虎非罴；所获霸王之辅」。

passive participle
passive participle#English

Prefix attached to verbs to form noun phrases, indicating the patient of the verb, similar to a passive participle.


智

Han_dynasty#Western_Han
Shuowen Jiezi
oracle bone inscriptions

Originally the same character as 知, used interchangeably. In oracle bone inscriptions, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 大 (“adult”) + 口 (“mouth”) + 子 (“child”) – to transmit knowledge. In western Zhou bronze inscriptions, 甘 started being added. As time went by, 子 corrupted into 于, 大 into 矢 (OC *hliʔ), and 甘 into 白, giving rise to the form seen in the Shuowen Jiezi (𥏼). The component 于 was dropped around the Western Han, arriving at the modern form.
Now a Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔl'es): phonetic 知 (OC *ʔl'e) + semantic 日.
Exopassive of 知 (OC *ʔl'e, “to know”), literally “what is known > knowledge”.


晴

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ¹¹/

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ¹¹/

Written as 夝 in Shuowen and as 星 in the Classic of Poetry.
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zleŋ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ).
Baxter and Sagart (2014) propose that it is from 清 (OC *tsʰeŋ, “clear”) with the intransitivizing/stativizing prefix *N-. Compare Proto-Hmong-Mien *ntshji̯əŋ (“clear”), whence White Hmong ntshiab.
Alternatively, it is perhaps derived from 星 (OC *sleːŋ, “star”): "become starry" > "weather clearing during the night" > "clearing when the sun is coming out" (Schuessler, 2007).


札

; “to die prematurely; pestilence; to die from pestilence”
: Sagart (2008) doubts this etymology, pointing out that this word has been attested in classical texts that are not necessarily connected to Yue or the South. He instead proposes that this word may be a Chinese loan in Yue or the regular word for “to die” in the variety of Chinese spoken in the Yue region.

A visitor from afar came and left me a letter.

〈古詩十九首之第十七首．孟冬寒氣至〉"Nineteen Old Poems' No. 17: Early Winter Month's Cold Air is Come" in 《文選 (wénxuǎn)》 Selections of Refined Literature.

客從遠方來，遺我一書札。

客从远方来，遗我一书札。


晉

Cao Wei
Chen dynasty
Eastern Han dynasty
Eastern Wei
Eastern Wu
Eastern Zhou dynasty
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Han dynasty
I Ching
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): 臸 (“to arrive”) + 日 (“sun”)
The I Ching relates it to 進／进 (jìn)https://ctext.org/book-of-changes/jin, whose etymology is unknown (Schuessler, 2007).

晋
㬜
𣈆
𫞄
𣋤
𣌇
𣋧
㬐
𡥨
𦗎


析

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 木 (“wood”) + 斤 (“axe”) - to split wood.


斧

Characters in the same phonetic series (父) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *paʔ): phonetic 父 (OC *paʔ, *baʔ) + semantic 斤 (“axe”)
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-pʷa (“axe”) (STEDT). Cognate with Garo rua (“axe”), Jingpho nwa, ningwa (“axe”), Tangut 𘟬 (*wjị¹, “axe”), Japhug tɯrpa (“axe”).


擲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *deɡ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 鄭 (OC *deŋs).

Han compound

掷
擿
掷
掟
旦
掞
掷
掷


指

→ Thai: ชี้ (chíi, “to point”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kjiʔ): semantic 手 + phonetic 旨 (OC *kjiʔ).


斯

A sieve next to an axe; its original meaning was "to divide/break with an axe" and, according to Xu Shen, it was synonym of 析. The original meaning is still preserved in the character 撕.
Cognate with 此 (OC *sʰeʔ, “this”) (Schuessler, 2007).
STEDT compares 此 (OC *sʰeʔ) and 斯 (OC *se) to Proto-Tani *si (“this”).

(Mainland China) Short for 斯大林 (Sīdàlín, “Stalin”).

Used in transcription.
Short for 斯大林 (Sīdàlín, “Stalin”).


提

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *deː, *dje): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 是 (OC *djeʔ).

Han compound

Only used in 提防 (dīfang, “to take precautions against; to watch out for”).


昔

Oracle bone form: Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 𡿧 (“disaster; floods”) + 日 (“sun”) – the flood submerging the sun; the former times.
Shuowen: Two pieces of flesh (仌) left to dry in the sun (日). Original form of 腊 (OC *sjaːɡ).
Similar but unrelated to 展, 共, and 散.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-r(j)ak (“night, full 24-hour day, spend the night”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). Wang (1982) relates this to 夕 (OC *ljaːɡ) and 夜 (OC *laːɡs); however, see those two entries for more.

inh

When I left then, the snow was like the flowers; I come now and the flowers are like the snow.

昔去雪如花，今來花似雪。

昔去雪如花，今来花似雪。

In olden times, the Duke of Lu murdered a guiltless palace maid, thus resulting in nine years of drought and flood; the Duke of Jing murdered a palace concubine in anger, causing terraces to collapse by three li.

Xī Lǔ Gōng shā yī wúzuì gōngnǚ, suì zhì jiǔ nián hànlào; Jǐng Gōng nù shā gōngfēi, tái qīng sān lǐ.

昔魯公殺一無罪宮女，遂致九年旱澇；景公怒殺宮妃，臺傾三里。

昔鲁公杀一无罪宫女，遂致九年旱涝；景公怒杀宫妃，台倾三里。

^⁜ former times; the past; long ago; ancient times


朗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *raːŋʔ): phonetic 良 (OC *raŋ) + semantic 月 (“moon”)
Areal etymon. Compare Khmer រង (rɔɔng, “be light, bright, become clear, clarify”), Old Mon to glitter (ˀaråṅ), Burmese ရောင် (raung, “brightness”), အရောင် (a.raung, “appearance, colour, luster”). Possibly related to 亮 (OC raŋh). (Schuessler, 2007)

cog

朗讀

朗读


柬

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 束 (“tie”) + 八 (“division, individually”). His original meaning is "to pick, to select, to choose", later written as 揀. Perhaps, the two points/marks inside the pictogram of the tied bag (later stylized as 八) mark and emphasize the content of a bag and/or the extraction of his content. See also 東, 熏, and 鹵.


排

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *brɯːl): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 非 (OC *pɯl) – to place in line.
Note resemblance to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *s/m-ba ~ *s/m-baːy (“to throw”), whence Burmese ပယ် (pai, “to reject, disqualify”).


敵

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *deːɡ): phonetic 啻 (OC *hljeɡs) + semantic 攴 (“to tap; to hit”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-taːj (“to retaliate; to grudge”). Cognate with Jingpho tai (tai³¹, “to avenge; to retaliate”) and Mizo tǎi (“to be at enmity with one another (intense); to have a grudge against”), and Burmese တေး (te:, “to grudge, to chalk up a grievance”).

cog

𢿪
適
𠢗
𰒰
𰚇
𰡦
敌

敵國

敌国


旱

From the same Proto-Sino-Tibetan root as 乾 (OC *kaːn, *ɡran, “dry”) (Schuessler, 2007).

防旱

The drought is excessive;
Its fervours become more and more tormenting.

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

旱既大甚，蘊隆蟲蟲。

旱既大甚，蕴隆虫虫。


暖

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *noːnʔ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 爰 (OC *ɢʷan). Later also used as a variant of 煖／暖 which is used as another word with different pronunciation.


暑

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (暑):
* → Japanese: 暑(しょ) (sho)

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *sji̯ouX (“warm”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hjaʔ): semantic 日 + phonetic 者 (OC *tjaːʔ).

Han compound

中暑 ― zhòngshǔ ― to get a heatstroke

消暑

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

(traditional Chinese medicine) summer heat (a cause of illness)


替

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 竝 + 曰 – two figures (竝) changing places. Two top components have been simplified from 立 to 夫.

He went to the supermarket for me. [Originally, I was the person who should go to the supermarket]

他替我去了趟超市。

Do you need me to contact an engineer for you?

需要我替您聯繫工程師嗎？

需要我替您联系工程师吗？

I, on behalf of the people throughout the world, [hereby] express my gratitude for the kindness of the empress dowager!

Núcái tì tiānxià bǎixìng gǎnjī huángtàihòu ēndiǎn!

奴才替天下百姓感激皇太后恩典！

He said: "There are those who say that if we always hold firm to the limits of the hua and the yi and keep to the borders between the Confucian and profane worlds, our circumstances shall be forlorn and our strength faltering. The cause of honoring and commemorating is not upheld thereby. So if we disregard whether the customs are hua or yi or whether the people are of the old or new types, breaking these boundaries and achieving our aim along with them, this would also be a way to act appropriately for these times. What do you have to say?"

Wal: "Yu wi ilhyang eom hwai ji banghan, su yu sok ji gyebun, jeuk se go ryeok che. Jonmo ji ui mu i yuji. Jeuk bulmun sok ji hwai, in ji gusin, pa gi hyu reung, i yeo ji seong gi sa, yeok siui ji il do ya. Gi eon yeoha?"

曰：「有謂一向嚴華夷之防閑，守儒俗之界分，則勢孤力替。尊慕之義無以維持。則不問俗之華夷、人之舊新，破其畦稜，而與之成其事，亦時宜之一道也。其言如何？」

to decline; to go downhill; to be on the wane; to fall; to decay


桎

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjiɡ): semantic 木 + phonetic 至 (OC *tjiɡs).


斗

Pictogram (象形) (Shuowen), indicating a ladle-shaped dou used to measure grain (see below) held by hand. See also 升.
Pronunciations 1 (“dipper, ladle”) and 2 (“water ladle”) are cognate. Variant character: 枓 (zhǔ, “ladle”). They probably belong to the same word family as 注 (OC *tjos, “to pour”), as a derived noun. Within Sino-Tibetan, compare Tibetan ཆུ (chu, “water”), འཆུ ('chu, “to scoop up, to ladle water”) and Burmese တို့ (tui., “to dip; large basket”).

cog

𤣫
𠦁
𣁬
搗
捯
啄
罩

(Hokkien) time; an instance or occurrence


朱

→ English: Chu, Zhu

Ideogram (指事): a tree (木) with its center highlighted with an extra dot-like stroke, accentuating the tree's core; contrast 本, 末.
Compare Proto-Vietic *tɔh (“red”) (Schuessler, 2007). 赭 (OC *tjaːʔ, “red paint”) may be related.

Zhu Xi (Song dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar)

朱熹

Steven Chu (an American physicist and former U.S. Secretary of Energy)

朱棣文


杜

Possibly be a Kra-Dai substrate word; compare Zhuang duz (classifier for animals), which is a prefix found in the vocabulary for many animals like duzgip (“centipede”), duzgyau (“spider”) and duzlingz (“monkey”) (Zhao, 1991; Tu, 2018).

(Eastern Min, Southern Min) Prefix found in the names of certain animals.


曆

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reːɡ): phonetic 厤 (OC *reːɡ) + semantic 日 (“sun; day”).
Derivative, meaning "calendar" < "calendrical calculations" (Shu), of 歷 (OC *rêk) "to calculate". See there for more.


敦

Originally written 𦎫 in oracle bone script and bronze script, an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 亯 (“ancestral shrine”) + 羊 (“sheep”). According to Ma Rulin (馬如森), the character represents a cooked goat used as a sacrifice. According to Ma Xulun (馬敍倫) and Yang Shuda (楊樹達), the character's original meanings was "to cook" and is the original form of 燉.
Later used to mean “to force; to compel” and came to be written with 攴, making the modern form an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tuːl, *doːn, *tuːn, *tuːns): phonetic 𦎫 () + semantic 攴 (“hand”). The character 燉 was graphically shaped after the modern version.
; “thick; earnest; plentiful; large”
; “Tun”

Han compound

㪟
𦎫
𦎧
𣀦
𢼪
𠧈
𠧉


材

/t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zlɯː): semantic 木 + phonetic 才 (OC *zlɯː, *zlɯːs).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(t)saːy ⪤ *(d)zaːy (“temperament; talent; resources”) (STEDT). Related to 才 (OC *zlɯː, *zlɯːs).

inh

Alternative form of 才 (cái, “talent; ability”)


旋

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 㫃 (“flag”) + 疋 (“foot”). Like the waving of a flag in the wind, represents turning around of a foot, or rotating.


大

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (大):
* → Japanese: 大(だい) (dai)
* → Okinawan: 大(だー) (dā)
* → Korean: 대(大) (dae)
* → Vietnamese: đại (大)

→ Thai: ไท้ (tái)

→ Old Turkic: 𐱃𐰖 (tay)

/taːi̯²²⁻³⁵/

/taːi̯²²⁻³⁵/

Characters in the same phonetic series (大) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事): a person 人 with arms stretched out as far as possible, implying the meaning of big/great/large.
Compare with 尢, which is a man with bent legs. Compare also 立, similar to 大, and 交, in which the legs are crossed. Compare also 文, which is a man with arms outstretched and a crest or tattoo on his chest, and to 夭, which is a man with arms outstretched and leaning to side (running or marching vigorously).
See the top component of 泰 in the original version (𡙌), the top component of 赤 and the bottom component of 奐 (well visible in some fonts). Related to 太.
Unrelated to 买, in which the bottom component is the stylization of a cowrie.
Cognate with 太 (OC *tʰaːds, “too, excessively”), 泰 (OC *tʰaːds, “big”). Wang (1982) also lists 誕 (OC *l'aːnʔ, “big, magniloquent, ridiculous”) as a cognate, which Schuessler (2007) suggests is cognate with 延 (OC *lan, *lans, “to extend”) instead. There are no unambiguous Tibeto-Burman cognates. Proto-Tibeto-Burman *taj (“big”), from which came Written Tibetan མཐེ་བོ (mthe bo, “thumb”), Anong tʰɛ (“big, large, great”), Mikir tʰè, ketʰè (“big, large, great”), Burmese တယ် (tai, “very”), is often compared with. There is no final –s in the Tibeto-Burman words, but a –y, which, according to James Matisoff, “indicates emergent quality in stative verbs”. Also compare Chinese 多 (OC *ʔl'aːl, “many, much”), 都 (OC *taː, “all”).

och-l

大北京地區

大北京地区

(of a place) greater (together with the surrounding area pertaining to it)

北大

Short for 大學／大学 (dàxué, “university”). Used only in the abbreviation of the name.

大學

45th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "greatness" (𝌲)


料

/li̯aʊ̯ɻʷ⁵¹/

/liːu̯²²⁻³⁵/

/li̯aʊ̯ɻʷ⁵¹/

/liːu̯²²⁻³⁵/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 米 (“rice”) + 斗 (“dipper”) – to measure; to gauge.

Han compound

1979, “我是癡情無限”, in 黃沾 (lyrics), 知己同心, performed by 關菊英:

how the future will be is difficult to predict

將來難料會如何

将来难料会如何

to anticipate; to predict; to foresee; to expect

他不是當兵的料。

他不是当兵的料。

material (person or thing suited for a certain purpose); makings


料

Alternative form of 撩 (“to tease; to provoke”)


曾

→ English: Tseng, Zeng, Chan, Tsang

→ Tagalog: Chan

Pictogram (象形) – a cooker for steaming food. The derivative 甑 (OC *ʔsɯŋs) refers to the original word.

Zeng Guofan (Chinese statesman and military general of the Qing dynasty)

曾國藩

曾国藩


斷

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 𢇍 (“to cut”) + 斤 (“axe”).
Before the Qin dynasty, this character was written as 𠸿 or 𠜷. According to Shuowen, the left component is an old form of 叀.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dan (“cut”).

29th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "decisiveness" (𝌢)


杖

→ Mongolian: зан (zan), ᠵᠠᠩ (ǰang)

→ Manchu: ᠵᠠᠩ (jang)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *daŋʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 丈 (OC *daŋʔ).
Thought to be the same word as 丈 (OC *daŋʔ) "gentleman, older man, husband", i.e. "someone who walks with, or leans on, a staff"; though unlikely.
According to Schuessler (2007), this is an areal word. Compare Mizo tiang (“staff, stick, crutch”), Old Khmer toŋ (“shaft, stock, shank”), -toṅa (“stock, stem, stick”), and Khmer ដង (dɑɑng, “pole, shaft, handle, yoke, body, trunk”). Benedict (1976) also compares this to Proto-Tai *de:ŋ ~ *tʰe:ŋ (“stick, bar”), Malay tiang (“pillar, post, pole”), Fijian ndia (“stick, handle”), and to reconstructed Proto-Austro-Tai *(n)ti(j)aŋ.
A derivative, attested in Zuozhuan as 杖 (zhàng), is the verb 仗 (OC *daŋs) "to lean on", with suffix *-s → *-h → 去聲／去声 (qùshēng).

zh-l

去聲／去声 (qùshēng)

(Eastern Min) Classifier for segments of sugarcane.


曉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hŋeːwʔ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 堯 (OC *ŋeːw).


支

Sino-Xenic (支):
* → Vietnamese: chi (支)

→ Vietnamese: chia

Characters in the same phonetic series (支) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 又 (“hand”) + 十 (“(half of 竹) branch of bamboo”) – a hand breaking off a branch of bamboo.
Similar but unrelated to 攴, 丈, 尹 and 父.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ka(ː)k (“fork, branch, crotch”). Cognate with the first syllable of Burmese ခက်ရင်း (hkak-rang:, “fork”), as well as the following words (STEDT):
* 枝 (OC *kje, “branch (of tree); to resist, go astray”)
* 肢 (OC *kje, “limb (of body)”)
* 翅 (OC *qʰjes, “wing”)
* 歧 (OC *ɡe, “bifurcating, forked (as of a road)”)

och-l

alt. forms: 枝

2017, 黃奇斌 [Ng Ki-pin] (lyrics and music), “浪子回頭 [Back Here Again]”performed by 茄子蛋 [EggPlantEgg]:

hun chi̍t ki chi̍t ki chi̍t ki leh tiám, chiú chi̍t poe chi̍t poe chi̍t poe leh ta

菸一支一支一支的點 酒一杯一杯一杯的乾

烟一支一支一支的点 酒一杯一杯一杯的干

Classifier for long, thin objects. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier

alt. forms: 枝

一支喙 [Hokkien] ― chi̍t ki chhùi [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― a mouth

(Southern Min) Classifier for certain body parts.

印支

friendship among Japan, Manchuria and China

日滿支親善

日满支亲善

(Taiwan, Internet slang) people who like to correct or criticize the use of Mainland terms

支語警察

支语警察

(now usually derogatory and offensive) Short for 支那 (Zhīnà, “China”).


朵

Sino-Xenic (朵):
* → Vietnamese: đoá (朵)

Originally a Ideogram (指事) depicting a stalk of a plant 禾 with something drooping. The bottom part of 禾 corrupted into 木, while the extra stroke corrupted into 乃, later simplified into 几.
“Hanging from a tree” > “flower” > classifier for flowers.
Probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(d/n)waj (“to hang from; to cling to; creeper”); see 垂 (OC *djol, “to hang down”) for more (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).
Also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *kt₂uur (“ear”) (Schuessler, 2007).

inh

一百朵玫瑰


杭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡaːŋ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 亢 (OC *kaːŋ, *kʰaːŋs).
Originally a variant of 抗 (OC *kʰaːŋs, *ɡaːŋ, “to fight against”).


枯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰaː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 古 (OC *kaːʔ).
Apparently Austroasiatic; compare Khmer ខះ (khah, “to dry up; to wither”) (Schuessler, 2007), which is from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ckəh (“dry”).

Han compound

枯燥


柏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *praːɡ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 白 (OC *braːɡ).

Han compound

(～國) Bai, Bo (an ancient state in modern Henan)


杏

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 木 (“wood”) + 口 (“mouth”) – perhaps referring to the tastiness of its fruit.
Shuowen considers it to be a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡraːŋʔ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + abbreviated phonetic 可 (OC *kʰaːlʔ), but this is unlikely.


梏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kruːɡ, *kuːɡ): semantic 木 + phonetic 告 (OC *kuːɡs, *kuːɡ).

Han compound

(historical) wooden handcuffs; manacles; fetters

(archaic) to handcuff; to take into custody


晏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qaːns, *qraːns): semantic 日 + phonetic 安 (OC *qaːn).

Han compound

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

Jí niánsuì zhī wèi yàn xī, shí yì yóu qí wèiyāng.

及年歲之未晏兮，時亦猶其未央。

及年岁之未晏兮，时亦犹其未央。


晚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *monʔ): semantic 日 + phonetic 免 (OC *mronʔ).

Han compound

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang tài wǎn shuìjiào le.

我昨天晚上太晚睡覺了。

我昨天晚上太晚睡觉了。

不好意思，你來晚了。

不好意思，你来晚了。

late (in relation to the expected or proper time)


朋

Pictogram (象形).
The oracle bone script form consisted of two strings of five cowries. Some forms of the oracle bone script contained an additional 人 which later evolved into 勹 (OC *pruː), which served as a phonetic component. The glyph was eventually corrupted to a duplication of 月 (“moon”).
Shuowen erroneously suggests 朋 (OC *bɯːŋ) was the ancient form of 鳳 (OC *bums).


暈

Originally a pictogram (象形) – the sun (日) surrounded by lines on all sides – halo.
Now phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢuns): semantic 日 (“Sun”) + phonetic 軍 (OC *kun).
Same word as 運 (OC *ɢuns, “to revolve; to move”) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for more.


栩

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰʷaʔ, *ɢʷaʔ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 羽 (OC *ɢʷaʔ, *ɢʷas).


政

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (政):
* → Japanese: 政(せい) (sei)
* → Korean: 정(政) (jeong)
* → Vietnamese: chính (政), chánh (政)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjeŋs): phonetic 正 (OC *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs) + semantic 攵 (“action”).
Specialization of 正 (OC *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs, “straight, upright; right, correct; proper”).

och-l

政治


梧

Firmiana platanifolia
Wikispecies:Firmiana platanifolia

Chinese parasol tree (Firmiana platanifolia), also known as Sterculia platanifolia


平

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (平):
* → Japanese: 平(へい) (hei)
* → Korean: 평(平) (pyeong)
* → Vietnamese: bình (平)

→ Iu Mien: baengh (“level”)

desc

→ Proto-Palaungic: *-pre/iŋ (“equal, level”) (Sidwell, 2015)

→ Proto-Tai: *biangᴬ (“flat, even”)

Lao: ພຽງ (phīang, “flat, even, equal”)

Lü: ᦵᦗᧂ (peng, “flat, even, equal”)

Northern Thai: ᨻ᩠ᨿᨦ (“flat, even, equal”)

Shan: ပဵင်း (páeng, “flat, even, equal”)

Thai: เพียง (piiang, “equal, as, only, just”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (平) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Uncertain. Various explanations include:
* According to the Shuowen, 八 (“division”) + 亏 (“exhaled air”) — the smooth flow of speech.
* Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ben, *beŋ): phonetic 釆 () + semantic 二 (“two equal lines”) (Lin Yiguang, 1920)
* A pictogram (象形) of waterweed spread flat on the surface of water. Original form of 苹 (OC *beŋ, “duckweed”). (Lawrence J. Howell)
* Pictogram (象形) of a balance scale. (Karlgren, 1973)
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(p/b)ljaŋ (“plank; palm; flat surface; wing”), whence Jingpho phun-pyen (phun⁵⁵ pjen³³, “plank”) and Burmese ပြန့် (pran., “flat and even”) (STEDT).

cog

平上去入

the four tones of Middle Chinese: level, rising, departing and checked

陽平／阳平

(Chinese phonetics) level tone (one of the four tones in Middle Chinese)


旅

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 㫃 (“flag”) + 从 (“together”) – brigade. Hence, the original version is 𣃨.
The top component of the character is unrelated to 每, 伤, 复, 乞 as well as 人.
;anything lined up in a regular fashion > one after another > line up in a row, set forth; troops, multitude
;guest, stranger, lodging


施

(Hokkien) Tagalog: Sy, See, Sze, Siy

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hljal, *hljals): semantic 㫃 + phonetic 也 (OC *laːlʔ).

Han compound

施耐庵


染

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 氵 (“water”) + 九 (“hook”) + 木 (“tree”) – to hang (on a hook 九) from a tree (木) into water (氵), so as to dye.
Earlier forms more often graphically 氵 + 杂; in the modern form, the water radical is moved upward to the upper-left corner.
Coblin (1986) compares this to Tibetan ཉམས་པ (nyams pa, “be stained, tarnished, spoiled”); Pan (1987) also notes Proto-Tai *ɲuɔmᴬ as well as Vietnamese nhuộm, both meaning "to dye".
Schuessler (2007) cites Downer (1986)'s opinion that form with 上 (shàng) tone is the verb, while form with 去 (qù) tone is the noun meaning "kind of cloth" (Lǐjì).


梗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraːŋʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 更 (OC *kraːŋ, *kraːŋs) – a type of plant.

Han compound

(Ningbonese) Classifier for long, slender objects, including ropes, fish, feathers, sticks. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


杯

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (杯):
* → Japanese: 杯(はい) (hai)

→ Zhuang: boi

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *plɯː): semantic 木 + phonetic 不 (OC *pɯ, *pɯʔ, *pɯ'). According to a variant, the phonetic component is 否, which also had the ancient meaning of "to block", perhaps referred to liquids in a glass.
Sino-Tibetan; compare Tibetan ཕོར་པ (phor pa, “bowl; cup”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

(Cantonese, Eastern Min, Southern Min) moon blocks (divination device)


梭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sloːl): semantic 木 + phonetic 夋 (OC *sʰlun).


枵

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hraw): semantic 木 + phonetic 号 (OC *ɦlaːws).
Substrate word, possibly from a Tai-Kadai language. Compare Thai หิว (hǐu, “hungry”).


房

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (房):
* → Japanese: 房(ぼう) (bō)
* → Korean: 방(房) (bang)
* → Vietnamese: phòng (房)

→ English: Fang

→ Vietnamese: buồng (房)

Burmese language
Sino-Tibetan languages
Tibetan language

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *baːŋ, *baŋ): semantic 戶 (“door”) + phonetic 方 (OC *paŋ, *baŋ).
Also could be an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 戶 (“door”) + 方 (homonym of 旁 (OC *baːŋ, “side”)), as it originally referred to one of the two rooms beside the central room (side room).
Etymology not certain. Probably Sino-Tibetan; compare Tibetan བང་བ (bang ba, “storeroom; storehouse”), Burmese ဝင်း (wang:, “enclosure”) (Bodman, 1980). Alternatively, compare Tibetan བྲང (brang, “house”) (as in ཕོ་བྲང (pho brang, “palace”) and བྲང་ཁང (brang khang, “dwelling house”)) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog-lite

我一個人在房裡

我一个人在房里


暗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qɯːms): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 音 (OC *qrɯm).

Han compound

暗號

暗号


椏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qaːʔ, *qraː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 亞 (OC *qraːɡs).

Han compound

Alternative form of 丫 (yā, “the forking branch of a tree”)


栽

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔslɯː, *zlɯːs): semantic 木 + phonetic 𢦏 (OC *ʔslɯː).

盤栽

chiefly to transplant, Zhangzhou Hokkien, chiefly to transplant


栽

Only used in 栽瞌睡, alternative form of 跩瞌睡


楻

to cook the (bamboo) fibres on a high enough heat

煮楻足火


學

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (學):
* → Japanese: 学(がく) (gaku); 学(かく) (kaku)
* → Okinawan: 学(がく) (gaku)
* → Korean: 학(學) (hak)
* → Jeju: ᄒᆞᆨ (hawk)
* → Vietnamese: học (學)

Pan Wuyun
Proto-Sino-Tibetan language
Shuowen

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): abbreviated 敎 (“to teach”) + 𦥑 (“mingling hands; hands-on learning”) + 宀 (“house; roofed building”) – a child learns in a roofed place. See 敎／教 for more; the bottom part is partly related graphically to 字. Ancient variants include 斅 and 斆, which preserve more of 敎.
In the modern form, 宀 has corrupted to 冖 (“cover”), and the hands 𦥑 around the 爻 have become connected with the roof 冖 on top of the child 子. Shuowen regards 𦥑 as the phonetic component in the character, which may be true according to some Old Chinese reconstructions such as that of Pan Wuyun's, though probably not others.
See also the top component of 覺, which is a contraction of 學.
The earliest oracle bone script forms may be a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡruːɡ): semantic 爻 + phonetic 六 (OC *ruɡ).
May be an endopassive derivation of 覺 (OC *kruːɡs, *kruːɡ, “to awake, get insight”). Ultimately from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kruk (“to rouse; to awaken; to disturb”).

inh-lite

学
斈
𢻯
𡕕
𣁃
𫝯
𭓕
𭓘
学
学

to comprehend; to realise; to understand

上學／上学

小學／小学

學費／学费

求學／求学

才疏學淺／才疏学浅

to be of humble talent and shallow learning

c. 3rd century BCE, 荀子 [Xunzi], 荀子 [Xunzi]:

化學／化学 ― huàxué ― chemistry

生物學／生物学 ― shēngwùxué ― biology

哲學

哲学

subject; branch of learning; science; -ology


棄

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 子 (“child”) + 𠀠 (“basket”) + 廾 (“two hands”) - throwing out a child in a basket. 子 was often inverted as 𠫓.
In the oracle bone script form, 子 may appear with dots on either side of its head and body, perhaps representing amniotic fluid or dust.


柯

desc

→ English: Ke, Ko, Ker, Or, O, Quah, Qua, Kuah, Kua, Kwa

→ Tagalog: Cua (via Hokkien)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːl): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 可 (OC *kʰaːlʔ).
Same word as 牁 (OC *kaːl, “mooring post for a boat”) and related to 軻 (OC *kʰaːl, *kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls, “a pair of wheels upon an axle tree”); perhaps related to 幹 (OC *kaːns, “stem, support”) but distinct from 竿 (OC *kaːn, “pole”) (Schuessler, 2007).

och-l

柯爾克孜 柯爾克孜#Chinese

柯尔克孜 柯尔克孜#Chinese

Short for 柯爾克孜／柯尔克孜 (kē'ěrkèzī, “Kyrgyz (the people, language, etc.)”).


棚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bɯːŋ, *brɯːŋ, *brɯːŋ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 朋 (OC *bɯːŋ)

Han compound

佢棚牙生得好齐。 [Cantonese, simp.]
keoi⁵ paang⁴ ngaa⁴ saang¹ dak¹ hou² cai⁴. [Jyutping]

(Cantonese) Classifier for teeth or bones, indicating a set.


早

Early bronze inscriptions: Pictogram (象形) – acorn. Original form of 皂 (OC *zuːʔ) through an intermediate variant 皁 (once also written as 草 (cǎo)). Borrowed phonetically for "morning" sense.
Late bronze inscriptions: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsuːʔ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 棗 (OC *ʔsuːʔ), with 棗 sometimes simplified as 朿.
Small seal script: Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 日 (“sun”) + 甲 (“first”) – when the sun first rises. However, Xu Shen's interpretation is not based on oracle bones and bronzes inscriptions.
In some ancient texts, 蚤 (OC *ʔsuːʔ) was often used instead.
Unrelated to the ancient version of 是: in this character, it doesn't represent an acorn but a spoon.
Possible cognate found in Proto-Hmong-Mien *ntsi̯ouˣ (“early”), whence White Hmong ntxov and Iu Mien nziou (Baxter and Sagart, 2014; Schuessler, 2007), and Proto-Tai *ɟaːwꟲ (“early morning”), whence Thai เช้า (cháao) and Lü ᦋᧁᧉ (tsaw²).

Han compound

So now you are in a hurry. What were you doing before?

Xiànzài zhème cōngmáng, nǐ zǎo gànmá qù le.

現在這麼匆忙，你早幹嗎去了。

现在这么匆忙，你早干吗去了。


拉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ruːb): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 立 (OC *rɯb).


服

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (服):
* → Japanese: 服(ふく) (fuku)
* → Korean: 복(服) (bok)
* → Vietnamese: phục (服)

Characters in the same phonetic series (服) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bɯɡ): semantic 凡 (“tray”) + phonetic 𠬝 (*[b]ək, “to subdue”) – to serve. 凡 here has been corrupted into 舟 and subsequently 月.


柴

/t͡sʰaːi̯²¹/

/t͡sʰaːi̯²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zreː): phonetic 此 (OC *sʰeʔ) + semantic 木.
Perhaps related to 槎 (OC *zraːl, *zraːlʔ, “to cut trees”) (Schuessler, 2007). Compare also Khmer ឈើ (chəə, “wood”) (ibid.).
On the other hand, the Min forms (e.g. Jian'ou châu, Fuzhou chà, Xiamen chhâ) are from 樵 (OC *zew).


枝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kje) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 支 (OC *kje, “branch”).
Originally the same word as 支 (OC *kje, “branch (of tree), limb; to support”); see there for more (STEDT).

och-l

一枝鉛筆

一枝铅笔

一枝槍

一枝枪

Classifier for long cylindrical objects (stick, pen, rod, flower with stem, etc).


易

→ Thai: แลก (lɛ̂ɛk)

Oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions: a pictogram (象形) of a filled container, the original form of 賜 (OC *sleːɡs, “to confer, to bestow”). Possibly specialised from 益 (OC *qleɡ, “to increase, to add”). Perhaps borrowed phonetically to mean "easy".
The character is not the pictogram of a chameleon, as folk etymology says. Unrelated to 陽 since it doesn't represent the sun.
From 移 (OC *lal, “to change; to alter”) + k-extension (Schuessler, 2007). The meaning of "change, alter" is linked to "give, bestow" since something given by somebody to somebody else "changes" its owner.


棕

Originally written as 椶, a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsoːŋ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 㚇. The phonetic component was later replaced by 宗 (zōng).
Wang (1982) relates it to 總 (OC *ʔsloːŋʔ, “to collect”), 稯 (OC *ʔsoːŋ, “sheaf; bundle”), 鬃 (OC *ʔsoːŋ, “mane”).

Han compound

棕熊

brown (color, similar to that of fibers made from a palm's leaf sheath)


柔

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (柔):
* → Japanese: 柔(じゅう) (jū)
* → Korean: 유(柔) (yu)
* → Vietnamese: nhu (柔)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mlju): phonetic 矛 (OC *mu) + semantic 木 (“tree”) – wood soft enough that it can easily be cut.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *now (“tender; soft”), which has also been compared to:
* 揉 (OC *mju, “knead, massage”)
* 懦 (OC *noːls, *njo, “pliant, cowardly”)
* 耎 (OC *njonʔ), 輭 (OC *njonʔ, “pliant, soft”)
* 肉 (OC *njuɡ, “meat”)
* 弱 (OC *njewɢ, “weak”)
* 荏 (OC *njɯmʔ, “weak”)
* 軟 (OC *njonʔ, “soft”)
* 孺 (OC *njos, “young and small”)
Outside of Sinitic, compare Burmese နူး (nu:, “tender”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007).
; “ronto-”

inh

(Mainland China) ronto- (SI unit prefix)


概

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kɯːds): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 既 (OC *kɯds) – strickle.

Han compound

概不退換／概不退换

without exception; categorically; absolutely


懷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡruːl) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 心 (“heart”) + phonetic 褱 (OC *ɡruːl, *ɡruːl, “to miss; bosom”). The original meaning is "to miss, to long for". Originally written 褱, see there for more. Hence, the phonetic component also adds part of the original meaning.

Han compound

(literary or dialectal Mandarin) to be pregnant


天

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (天):
* → Japanese: 天(てん) (ten)
* → Korean: 천(天) (cheon)
* → Vietnamese: thiên (天)

A horizontal line above a man with outstretched arms 大 (dà) to indicate the sky (compare the original versions of 上). The other ancient representations of the character depicted a man with a large squared head, an anthropomorphic representation of heaven.
Original meaning of the word is “sky”. Such concept is difficult to depict with a pictogram, hence the current form. Perhaps influenced by the glyph, the character was frequently glossed in Old Chinese documents with 顛 (“crown of the head”), and such had led to incorrect hypotheses which regarded 天 (tiān) as a derivation of 顛 or 巔, “top (of the head/hill)”.
This character was previously reconstructed to have a /*tʰ/-initial in Old Chinese, but this hypothesis has been largely discounted in recent reconstructions, in light of evidence from early Chinese accounts of dialectal pronunciations, transcription of other languages, as well as cognate/derived characters within Chinese, which has all pointed to a voiceless resonant initial /*l̥-/ in Old Chinese. According to chapter 1 of Shiming, by c. 200 CE, this initial had already produced dialectal variation in the pronunciation: People in central-western China pronounced it with the back of the tongue, like 顯 (MC xenX), while people in eastern China pronounced it with the tip of the tongue, like 坦 (MC thanX). An old northwestern dialect variant survives as 祆 (MC xen, “God of the Zoroastrians”), and the word 天竺 (MC then trjuwk, “India”) was used to transcribe Old Persian *Hind-uka ("India").
Further etymology is unknown. During the time when this term was reconstructed with a /*tʰ-/ initial, it was frequently compared with tengri, the name for God in early Turkic and Mongolic peoples' languages. This now appears unlikely. The only certain external cognate is the Central Bai (a language closely related to Chinese) word heinl (“sky, heaven”) /xẽ⁵⁵/. Chen (1998) proposes cognation with 祁連 (OC *g'ieg-lian) and 赫連 (OC *khak-lian), transcriptions of a Xiongnu word for "sky", which he also relates to 昊天 (OC *g'ôg-hlin).

𠀘
𠀡
𠑺
兲
𠕹
㕦
䒶
𦴞
𩇗
𩇞
靝/靔
𠀑
𬻃

五更天

天不早了。


椒

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

The Mengshe Barbarians use pepper, ginger, and cinnamon to boil as a drink.

Tang Dynasty, Fan Chuo, Manshu, chapter 7, part 7

Méngshè Mán yǐ jiāo, jiāng, guì hé pēng ér yǐn zhī.

蒙舍蠻以椒、薑、桂和烹而飲之。

蒙舍蛮以椒、姜、桂和烹而饮之。

any similar plants and spices, such as pepper and chili


棉

Variant of 綿 by replacing 糸 with 木 (裘錫圭：《文字學概要（修訂本）》, p222).
Attested late, in Tang dynasty; unless Shijing’s 綿蠻 (OC *men mroːn, “tiny, delicate”) (according to Mao Commentary) is derived from "cotton" (Schuessler, 2007).
Etymology unclear, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan (Schuessler, 2007)? Tibetan བལ། (bal) is cognate to either this or 蟠 (OC *baːn, *ban, “to coil, to curl”) (ibid.).

樹棉／树棉

棉衣

Qingyuan commandery: …, 285-li away from the Cotton-Field hamlet to the west.

Qīngyuán jùn...... Xī zhì Miántián cūn èrbǎi bāshí wǔ lǐ.

清源郡……西至棉田村二百八十五里。


椰

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *laː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 耶 (OC *laː).
Attested as early as the Jin dynasty (晉朝). Compare earlier form 楈枒 (OC *sŋa/sŋaʔ ŋraː/ŋraːs), 胥邪 (OC *sŋa/sŋaʔ ljaː/laː), 胥餘 (OC *sŋa/sŋaʔ la) (attested since Han dynasty).

Han compound

椰汁

(now in compounds or dialectal) coconut (Classifier: 個／个 c)


期

Characters in the same phonetic series (其) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kɯ, *ɡɯ): phonetic 其 (OC *kɯ, *ɡɯ) + semantic 月 (“moon”) – changing moon marks the passage of time, hence a period of time. In the original version, there was a sun 日 instead of the moon, hence the original version is 㫷 (with variant 𣇳).
Cognate with 其 (OC *kɯ, “should; probably”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

朞
𣍡
𣍣
𣍠
㫷
𣇳
𣅆
稘
其
𠔸
𡢁
𥟝
𣔔
𦝁

學期

学期

青春期


查

Originally written as 査, hence it is a Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsraː, *zraː, *zraː): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 且 (OC *sʰjaːʔ, *ʔsa). Today, the bottom part is stylized as 旦.
It originally indicates Chinese hawthorn, also known as mountain hawthorn, today written as 山楂; it also indicates a wooden raft. The original meanings are both preserved in the syllable 楂.

Han compound

查詞典

查词典

查檔案

查档案

你查邊本書㗎？

你查边本书㗎？

to look up something in; to search in; to consult


晝

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 聿 + 日 (“sun”). Used to mean “daytime” in ancient texts.
The significance and meaning of the 聿 component, as present in the oracle bone inscriptions, is not clear. Various theories exist, including that it serves as a phonetic component, in which case the character would be a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tus): phonetic 聿 (OC *b·lud) + semantic 日 (“sun”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-duk (“daytime; noon”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan གདུགས (gdugs, “midday; umbrella”).

cog

An ancient placename in modern-day Zibo, Shandong province, China.


教

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraːw, *kraːws): phonetic 爻 (OC *ɢraːw, “divination”) + semantic 子 (“child”) + semantic 攵 (“teaching cane; stick that represents authority”) – teaching a child either counting with bamboo slips or divination with yarrow stalks. See also 學 and 算.

Han compound

敎
斅/𢽾
𧧿
𤕝
敎
𡥉
𡥈

(obsolete or Southern Min) to tell (someone to do something); to let; to instruct


族

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 㫃 (“flag”) + 矢 (“arrow”).

族語／族语

tribal languages, specifically Taiwanese indigenous languages

(Taiwan, specifically) the Taiwanese indigenous peoples


晦

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (晦):
* → Japanese: 晦(かい) (kai)
* → Korean: 회(晦) (hoe)
* → Vietnamese: hối (晦)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hmɯːs): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 每 (OC *mɯːʔ).
STEDT compares 晦 (OC *hmɯːs) to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *muːŋ ~ r/s-muːk (“foggy; dark; sullen; menacing; thunder”).

inh

67th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "darkening" (𝍈)


暝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *meːŋ, *meːŋs): semantic 日 + phonetic 冥 (OC *meːŋ).

Han compound

Yǐ zhào chūn jiāng shàng, héng zhōu shí àn qián. Shān míng xíngrén duàn, tiáotiáo dú fàn xiān.

倚棹春江上，橫舟石岸前。山暝行人斷，迢迢獨泛仙。

倚棹春江上，横舟石岸前。山暝行人断，迢迢独泛仙。


樊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ban) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): phonetic 棥 (OC *ban) + semantic 𠬜.

Han compound

Fan Kuai (a military general of the early Western Han dynasty)

樊噲

樊哙


榴

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *m·ru): semantic 木 + phonetic 留 (OC *m·ru, *m·rus).
The botanist Li Shizhen suggests that 榴 is the same as 瘤 (OC *m·ru, *m·rus, “lump, tumour”), as the pomegranate fruit resembles cancerous outgrowths on the body.


榕

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *loŋ): semantic 木 + phonetic 容 (OC *loŋ).


柑

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (柑):
* → Japanese: 柑(かん) (kan)
* → Vietnamese: cam (柑)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːm): semantic 木 (“wood; tree”) + phonetic 甘 (OC *kaːm); however, the phonetic component coud also indicate that the mandarin fruit is sweet. Similar but unrelated to 某.
Either the same etymon as 甘 (OC *kaːm, “sweet”) (Wang, 1982), or, in light of the citrus fruit's southern origin, possibly connected with Austroasiatic; compare Proto-Austroasiatic *ŋaːm (Schuessler, 2007).


朴

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰroːɡ): semantic 木 + phonetic 卜 (OC *poːɡ).
Officially adopted as the simplified form of 樸 (etymology 6) in the Chinese Character Simplification Scheme (《漢字簡化方案》) in 1956.


楊

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (楊):
* → Vietnamese: dương (楊)

desc

→ English: Yang, Yeung, Yeo, Yeoh, Yong, Young

→ Tagalog: Yu, Young

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *laŋ): semantic 木 (“tree, wood”) + phonetic 昜 (OC *laŋ) – a kind of tree.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *glaŋ (“poplar, willow”). Cognate with Tibetan ལྕང་མ (lcang ma, “willow”).


楞

(Eastern Min) Classifier for fruit or seed segments, flower petals, or portions of other round plant organs.


梯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰiːl): semantic 木 (“wood, tree”) + phonetic 弟 (OC *diːlʔ, *diːls) – a wooden ladder.

Han compound

擔堂梯

担堂梯

ladder; steps; stairs (Classifier: 條／条 c; 堂 c; 支 mn; 張／张 mn-t)

梯旁 [Cantonese] ― tai¹ pong⁴ [Jyutping] ― along the Central–Mid-Levels escalator


棒

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (棒):
* → Japanese: 棒(ぼう) (bō)

→ Thai: พลอง (plɔɔng)

desc

⇒ Thai: กระบอง (grà-bɔɔng), ตะบอง (dtà-bɔɔng)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *broːŋʔ): semantic 木 (“tree, wood”) + phonetic 奉 (OC *boŋʔ) – a wooden club.
; “terrific; smart; handsome; excellent; skillful”
: The semantics may have developed as “stick” > “hard” > “excellent”; compare dialectal Mandarin 槓／杠 (gàng) (Yang, 2012).

Han compound

(figurative) baton; responsibility; succession


景

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (景):
* → Vietnamese: cảnh (景)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraŋʔ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 京 (OC *kraŋ). Originally, it meant "sunlight". Compare 昜.
Possibly Sino-Tibetan. Probably related to 鏡 (OC *kraŋs, “mirror”) and 影 (OC *qraŋʔ, “shadow”) (Wang, 1982; Baxter and Sagart, 2014). STEDT compares it to Proto-Kuki-Chin *klaaŋ-I, *klaan-II (“to shine; light; bright”) and lists 亮 (OC *raŋs, “bright”), 陽 (OC *laŋ, “sunshine”), 章 (OC *kjaŋ, “emblem; to display”) as additional comparanda.

Han compound

The scenery is so beautiful! We've got to take a few pictures to mark the occasion.

go³ ging² gam³ leng³, jat¹ ding⁶ jiu³ jing² faan¹ gei² zoeng¹ soeng³⁻² lau⁴ nim⁶.

個景咁靚，一定要影返幾張相留念。

个景咁靓，一定要影返几张相留念。

Classifier for scenes of a play, drama, etc.


楝

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

Han compound

Melia azedarach
Melia azedarach#Translingual

bead tree (Melia azedarach, formerly known as Melia japonica), a tree in the mahogany family


把

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *praːʔ): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 巴 (OC *praː).

Han compound

他把刀放在桌子上。

A light verb or preposition placed before the object of a sentence to allow it to be placed before the verb, giving greater flexibility in complex sentence construction.

加把勁兒！

加把劲儿！

一把年紀

一把年纪

Classifier for some abstract ideas, such as force, effort or age.

to give money (to children) during the Chinese New Year

把壓歲錢

把压岁钱

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 1675

把本書你

把本书你

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 1672

把我一本書

把我一本书

Yú jiā xiǎosī yòu qiāoqiāo de cóng hòumén jiào le yī ge mài cǎo de, bǎ tā sì ge qián.

虞家小廝又悄悄的從後門叫了一個賣草的，把他四個錢。

虞家小厮又悄悄的从后门叫了一个卖草的，把他四个钱。

(archaic or dialectal Mandarin, Gan, Xiang) to give


楚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sŋ̊ʰraʔ, *sŋ̊ʰras): semantic 林 (“forest; grove; woods”) + phonetic 疋 (OC *ŋraːʔ, *sŋra, *sŋraʔ).
Schuessler (2007) proposes an Austroasiatic origin; compare Proto-Austroasiatic *ɟrla(ː)ʔ (“thorn”).

Han compound

If but one man of Qi be teaching him, and there be a multitude of men of Chu continually shouting out about him, although his father beat him every day, wishing him to learn the speech of Qi, it will be impossible for him to do so.

Yī Qí rén fù zhī, zhòng Chǔrén xiū zhī, suī rì tà ér qiú qí Qí yě, bùkě dé yǐ.

一齊人傅之，眾楚人咻之，雖日撻而求其齊也，不可得矣。

一齐人傅之，众楚人咻之，虽日挞而求其齐也，不可得矣。

Zì Huái Wáng rù Qín bù fǎn, Chǔrén lián zhī zhì jīn, gù Chǔ Nán Gōng yuē ‘Chǔ suī sān hù, wáng Qín bì Chǔ’ yě.

自懷王入秦不反，楚人憐之至今，故楚南公曰『楚雖三戶，亡秦必楚』也。

自怀王入秦不反，楚人怜之至今，故楚南公曰『楚虽三户，亡秦必楚』也。

(～國) (historical) Chu (an ancient Chinese viscounty and kingdom along the Yangtze River during the Zhou dynasty)


橄

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klaːmʔ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 敢 (OC *klaːmʔ).


桐

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *doːŋ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 同 (OC *doːŋ).

Han compound

various trees related to the tung tree (now distinguished as oil-tung 油桐), particularly paulownia


棋

→ Lü: ᦌᦲᧉ (sii²)

/kʰei̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/kʰei²²⁻²²⁵/

/kʰei̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/kʰei²²⁻²²⁵/

Characters in the same phonetic series (其) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡɯ): semantic 木 (“wooden”) + phonetic 其 (OC *kɯ, *ɡɯ).

Han compound

我們連下了三局棋。

我们连下了三局棋。

board game, usually excluding those played with cards (牌 (pái))

an instance of playing such games (Classifier: 局; 盤／盘)

落棋無悔／落棋无悔

You should not take back your (Go) stone once it is dropped.

Don't just only think of capturing the opponent's pieces.

不要光想著吃對方的棋。

不要光想着吃对方的棋。

In chess, each player has sixteen pieces.

Zài guójìxiàngqí zhōng, měirén yǒu shíliù méi qí.

在國際象棋中，每人有十六枚棋。

在国际象棋中，每人有十六枚棋。

hai² gwok³ zai³ zoeng⁶ kei⁴⁻² dou⁶, mui⁵ jan⁴ jau⁵ sap⁶ luk⁶ zek³ kei⁴⁻².

喺國際象棋度，每人有十六隻棋。

喺国际象棋度，每人有十六只棋。

piece; counter used in such games (Classifier: 枚 m; 隻／只 c)

圍棋／围棋

跳棋 ― tiàoqí ― checkers

Reversi is a board game invented in the 19th century.

Hēibáiqí shì 19 shìjì fāmíng de yī zhǒng qí.

黑白棋是19世紀發明的一種棋。

黑白棋是19世纪发明的一种棋。


打

desc

→ Korean: 치다 (chida, “to call (on the telephone)”) (semantic loan)

→ Zhuang: daj

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rteŋʔ, *teːŋʔ): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ).
This post-classical word (its earliest extant attestation is in Shuowen) was pronounced *teŋ in Late Old Chinese, as would be expected from a 丁 phonetic. By the early Ming period, the character had been borrowed (訓讀／训读) for another word (撻) with the same meaning ("to flog, to beat") but a different pronunciation (whence Mandarin tà), without the nasal ending. This may be related to the previous reading, as a dialectal variant. In Mandarin and some other varieties, the new reading became standard; however, derivations of the older pronunciation are still used in other varieties such as Wu and Min Nan, as well as Vietnamese (đánh).
It has been compared to Mizo dêng (“to throw; to fling; to hammer”) and proposed to be from Sino-Tibetan (Schuessler, 2007). Also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *dah ~ daʔ (“to hit, to meet”), whence Mon ဒး (tɛ̀h, “to hit (a mark), meet with, reach [goal], be correct, apposite, to fit”) and Khmer ទះ (tĕəh, “to slap, to strike”).
The pronunciation da is recorded in 六書故 as 都假切.

cog

to hit (a mark), meet with, reach 􂀿goal􂁀, be correct, apposite, to fit

他挨了一頓打。

他挨了一顿打。


案

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (案):
* → Japanese: 案(あん) (an)
* → Korean: 안(案) (an)
* → Vietnamese: án (案)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qaːns): semantic 木 + phonetic 安 (OC *qaːn).

Han compound

literally, "to raise the tray to eyebrow level (as a sign of respect)"

舉案齊眉

举案齐眉

wooden plate used to serve food in ancient times


桌

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (桌):
* → Japanese: 卓(たく) (taku)
* → Korean: 탁(卓) (tak)

→ Khmer: តុ (tok)

→ Lao: ໂຕະ (to)

→ Baba Malay: toh

→ Thai: โต๊ะ (dtó)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rteːwɢ): phonetic 卓 (OC *rteːwɢ, “high”) + semantic 木 (“tree; wood”) – table. The bottom 十 of 卓 has merged with or been replaced by 木.
From 卓 (OC *rteːwɢ, “high”), as tables are relatively tall (compared to other pieces of furniture like 几).
Similar descriptive derivations for pieces of furniture include: 登 (“to climb”) > 凳 (“stool”); 倚 (“to lean”) > 椅 (“chair”).

Han compound

一桌菜

Classifier for tablefuls of dishes or people: table


李

→ English: Li, Lee

→ German: Li

→ Tagalog: Dy, Dee (via Hokkien)

Oracle bone script: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rɯʔ): phonetic 來 (OC *m·rɯːɡ, “wheat”) + semantic 子. The phonetic part 來 became gradually corrupted to yield 木 (“tree”).
Shuowen erroneously remarks that this is a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rɯʔ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 子 (OC *ʔslɯʔ).

Han compound

李白

李連杰

李连杰

a surname, listed fourth in the Baijiaxing


束

Characters in the same phonetic series (束) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事) – bag tied at both ends (earlier forms were often vertically symmetric). See also 東 and 柬.


構

→ Thai: ก่อ (gɔ̀ɔ)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *koːs): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 冓 (OC *koː, *koːs).

Han compound

Broussonetia papyrifera
Broussonetia papyrifera#Translingual

paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera)


柳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *m·ruʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 卯 (OC *mruːʔ) in oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions.
Later 桺 (semantic 木 + phonetic 丣 (OC *luʔ)) in small seal script.
The glyph finally turned back to 木 (mù) + 卯 (mǎo) in the current form.
Smith (2011) reconstructs *[m-]ruʔ, with volitional or agentic prefix *m- (see Sagart, 1999) and root verb 流 (OC r(j)u) "to flow", resulting in *m-ruu "(cause to flow >) pour out, empty". If unprefixed, 柳 means "the flowing one"; if prefixed, "the pouring one". Recall English weeping willow.


曲

Ideogram (指事) – a bent object. Also simplified from 麴 via the variant character 麯／曲.
Unrelated to 曹 and 典.
; used in names of rivers
; to bend, bent, curved, crooked, wrong
; mocking; ridiculing


梳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sŋra): semantic 木 + abbreviated phonetic 疏 (OC *sŋra, *sŋras).
Traditionally thought to be related to 疏 (OC *sŋra, “distant; sparse”), as compared to 篦 (OC *piː, *bis, “fine-tooth comb”) (Shiming; Wang, 1982).
However, Schuessler (2007) considers this to be folk etymology and instead proposes that this is related to Tibetan གཤོད (gshod, “to comb”), Proto-Kuki-Chin *hriat (“to comb; to brush”). STEDT provisionally reconstructs Proto-Tibeto-Burman *g-s-j(w)at (“to comb; to brush”) and also notes possible connection to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *m-si-t (“comb; rake”).


植

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *dɯɡs, *djɯɡ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 直 (OC *dɯɡ).


架

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraːls): phonetic 加 (OC *kraːl) + semantic 木 (“tree, wood”) – a wooden prop.
Cognate with Burmese ကြာ (kra, “to last, take time”) (Hill (2019), p. 205).

Han compound

一架飛機／一架飞机

Classifier for planes, large vehicles, radios, etc. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier

一架車／一架车 [Cantonese] ― jat¹ gaa³ ce¹ [Jyutping] ― a car

一架單車／一架单车 [Cantonese] ― jat¹ gaa³ daan¹ ce¹ [Jyutping] ― a bike

(dialectal) Classifier for vehicles. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


桶

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰoːŋʔ, *l'oːŋʔ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 甬 (OC *loŋʔ).
Compare Khmer ថាំង (thang), Thai ถัง (tǎng).


樑

desc

→ Vietnamese: rường (“small roof beam; straining beam”)

Specialized form of 梁 (OC *raŋ, “beam; bridge”), with the addition of the semantic component 木 (“tree; wood”).
Possibly Sino-Tibetan; compare Burmese အခြင် (a.hkrang, “rafter”) (Schuessler, 2007).

梁
梁
鿄
𣸑
渿
𣹷
𨎛

鼻樑

鼻梁


末

Ideogram (指事): a tree (木) with its top highlighted with an extra stroke, implying the meaning of “apex”; contrast 本, 朱.

粉末


板

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *praːnʔ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 反 (OC *panʔ, *pʰan).
Officially adopted as the simplified form of 闆 (etymology 2) in the Chinese Character Simplification Scheme (《漢字簡化方案》) in 1956.
The same word as 版 (OC *praːnʔ, “plank”). Cognate with Tibetan འཕར ('phar, “panel; small plank”) (Schuessler, 2007), Burmese ပြား (pra:, “flat, pya”) (Hill, 2019, p. 224).

cog

行板

散板

(music) beat; meter; rhythm (in music or Chinese opera)


枕

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'um, *ʔljumʔ, *ʔljums): semantic 木 + phonetic 冘 (OC *lu, *lum).
For the "pillow" sense, perhaps from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-k(u/i)m (“pillow, block, bench, bedstead”), and cognate with 椹 (OC *ʔl'um, “chopping block”), Burmese ခုံ (hkum, “raised block”) (STEDT).


櫥

→ Thai: ตู้ (dtûu)


栗

Pictogram (象形) – chestnuts growing on a tree. Similar to 果 and 某. Unrelated to 要 and 票.
Possibly related to T'en [script needed] (lik³¹, “chestnut”) (Schuessler, 2007).


檸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rnaːŋʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 寧 (OC *neːŋ).

Han compound

Only used in 檸檬／柠檬 (níngméng); also used as its short form.


放

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (放):
* → Vietnamese: phóng (放)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *paŋʔ, *paŋs): phonetic 方 (OC *paŋ, *baŋ) + semantic 攵 (“hand, action”) – an action, release.


暮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *maːɡs): phonetic 莫 (OC *maːɡ) + semantic 日 (“sun”).

Han compound

GT - General Taiwanese (no particular region identified)


榮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷreŋ): abbreviated phonetic 熒 (OC *ɡʷeːŋ) + semantic 木
Same word as 熒 (OC *ɡʷeːŋ) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for etymology.

Han compound

(～縣) Rong County (a county of Zigong, Sichuan, China)


桁

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡaːŋ, *ɡraːŋ): semantic 木 + phonetic 行 (OC *ɡaːŋ, *ɡaːŋs, *ɡraːŋ, *ɡraːŋs).

Han compound

cangue placed on a criminal's neck and feet


枹

(Eastern Min, Quanzhou Hokkien, Longyan Min, Datian Min) pomelo


歠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰjod): phonetic 叕 (OC *tod) + abbreviated semantic 㱃 (“to drink”).

Han compound

(literary or Eastern Min) to drink, to sip, to suck


梵

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bloms, *bum): semantic 林 (“forest”) + phonetic 凡 (OC *bom) – lush. Originally a variant form of 芃 (OC *boːŋ, *bum).
As a word for transcribing Indic languages, the reading 梵 (MC bjomH) probably derives from Gandhari and transcribes the syllables such as bram̄(a), bra(m)m-, etc. (Bailey, 1946) in words like 𐨦𐨿𐨪𐨨𐨸 (bram̄a, “Brahma”), 𐨦𐨿𐨪𐨨𐨞 (bramaṇa, “a brahmin”), and it appears in the classical Chinese lexicon in 梵天 (“Brahma, name of a deity”), 梵志 (“a person dedicated to religion”), 梵行 (“good, pure conduct”), etc. The sense for "Sanskrit" originally refers to its status as a religious language. In modern usage, it is also used to translate various terms in Hinduism, such as Brahman.

Han compound

(Hinduism) Brahman; the ultimate reality in the universe (concept in Hinduism)

梵語

梵语

梵漢對音

梵汉对音

of or pertaining to ancient India or the Sanskrit language; Indian

(Buddhism) to chant sutras; to recite sutras


檢

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kramʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam). Perhaps, it originally indicates the blade on the top of a wooden spear. Partly related to 鐱 > 劍, which indicates a sword (hence a blade).


數

Exopassive derivation of Etymology 1 with suffix *-s, meaning "what is counted" (Schuessler, 2007).


棗

Sino-Xenic (棗):
* → Vietnamese: táo (棗)

/t͡saʊ̯ɻʷ²¹⁴/

/t͡saʊ̯ɻʷ²¹⁴/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): Duplication of 朿 (“thorn”).


核

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡuːd, *ɡrɯːɡ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 亥 (OC *ɡɯːʔ) – a kind of tree. Modern meanings are borrowed.
The definitions related to “to examine” come from the “kernel” sense, i.e. “to go to the core” (Schuessler, 2007).
Generally thought to be of Sino-Tibetan origin. It has been compared to Tibetan རག་ཙེ (rag tse), Karbi rak (Gong, 2002; Schuessler, 2007). However, Hill (2012) rejects the connection to the Tibetan word because most words ending with ཙེ (tse) are loanwords from Chinese words ending with the 子 suffix.
Smith (2011) groups this word with the following terms into a word family meaning “root, germ, generative core”:
* 荄 (OC *kɯː, “grassroot”) and its derivative 根 (OC *kɯːn, “root”),
* 骸 (OC *ɡrɯː, “(human) bones”) (also noted by Schuessler, 2007),
* 孩 (OC *ɡɯː, “child”),
* 亥 (OC *ɡɯːʔ, “sprouting stage”), i.e. "the moon’s first appearance" > "twelfth earthly branch".

Han compound

(Hokkien) swelling in the lymph glands (lymphatic hard lumps due to inflammation, etc.)


殆

(literary, or in compounds) in peril; at stake


家

Oracle bone script: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraː): semantic 宀 (“roof”) + phonetic 𢑓 (, “male pig”). An archaic variant closer to the original drawing is 𡩀. See 𢑓 (xiá) for more. Similar to 冡.
Later the phonetic component have been corrupted to 豕, so Shuowen Jiezi erroneously analyzed it as Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraː): semantic 宀 (“roof”) + abbreviated phonetic 豭 (OC *kraː, “pig”).
All etymologies based on the modern version of the phonetic component (豕) are folk etymologies since they miss the original component (𢑓).
Cognate with Tibetan མཁར (mkhar, “castle; house”) (Schuessler, 2007).
嫁 (OC *kraːs, “to give a girl in marriage”) is the exoactive of 家 (OC *kraː, “house; household; family”).

och-l

傢
宊
𠖔
𡧚
𡩅
𡩙
𡩚
𡩵
𡩀
價

家庭

家事

李家

我家有四口人。


椅

→ Zhuang: eij

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qral, *qralʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 奇 (OC *kral, *ɡral).
From 倚 (MC 'jeX|'jeH, “to lean”) (Luo et al., 1986; Baxter and Sagart, 2014).


更

Originally an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意), showing two chariots (丙). Later 攴 was added and a 丙 omitted to create the form seen in the Shuowen Jiezi (㪅), a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraːŋ, *kraːŋs): abbreviated phonetic 𰀒 (, “two chariots”) + semantic 攴 (“hand holding a whip; action”). The remaining 丙 eventually corrupted into a shape similar to 雨.

Han compound

28th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "change" (𝌡)


更

[There are] three shifts each day, eight hours each shift.

jat¹ jat⁶ saam¹ gaang¹, mui⁵ gaang¹ baat³ go³ zung¹.

一日三更，每更八個鐘。

一日三更，每更八个钟。

(Hong Kong Cantonese, by extension) shift; work shift; work period


桑

Pictogram (象形) of a mulberry tree. What were the shape of the tree's foliage is now 叒
Unknown (Schuessler (2007)).


欣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰɯn): phonetic 斤 (OC *kɯn, *kɯns) + semantic 欠.
Probably from the same word family as 喜 (OC *qʰlɯʔ) (Schuessler, 2007).


殂

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zaː): semantic 歹 + phonetic 且 (OC *sʰjaːʔ, *ʔsa)

Han compound

(Eastern Min, generally of animals) to die suddenly, to drop dead


殍

/pʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/pʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *brɯwʔ, *browʔ, *pʰuw): semantic 歹 (“remains”) + phonetic 孚 (OC *pʰuw).


松

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɢloŋ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 公 (OC *kloːŋ).
Miyake (1997), apud Schuessler (2007), associated 松 (OC *sɢloŋ) with Old Japanese 杉 (sugi₂, “cryptomeria”); superficially similar to Thai สน (sǒn, “pine”).
The regular Mandarin pronunciation as predicted from Middle Chinese is sóng. The sound change to the yinping (陰平／阴平) pronunciation in Mandarin dialects is to avoid homophony with the word 㞞／𪨊 (sóng, “semen”).

Han compound

The waters of the Qi flow smoothly; there are the oars of juniper and boats of pine.

淇水滺滺、檜楫松舟。

淇水滺滺、桧楫松舟。


桂

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷeːs): semantic 木 + phonetic 圭 (OC *kʷeː).


殉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɢʷins): semantic 歹 + phonetic 旬 (OC *sɢʷin).

Han compound

to die for the cause of; to be a martyr for


朕

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (朕):
* → Japanese: 朕(ちん) (chin)
* → Korean: 짐(朕) (jim)
* → Vietnamese: trẫm (朕)

Characters in the same phonetic series (朕) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Simplified from 𦩎 (舟 → 月 and 灷 → 关), corruption of an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 舟 (“boat”) + 丨 (“item”) + 廾 (“two hands”), seen in the oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions, originally meaning “to mend a boat”. It was later borrowed phonetically to be used as a honorific first-person pronoun.

Han compound

On no account disbelieve me - I will not go back on my word.

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

爾無不信，朕不食言。

尔无不信，朕不食言。

We ourselves shall be called First Emperor, and successive generations shall be numbered consecutively: Second, Third, and so on until for 1,000 or 10,000 generations, the succession passing down without end.

Zhèn wèi Shǐhuángdì. Hòushì yǐ jìshù, èrshì sānshì zhìyú wànshì, chuán zhī wúqióng.

朕為始皇帝。後世以計數，二世三世至于萬世，傳之無窮。

朕为始皇帝。后世以计数，二世三世至于万世，传之无穷。

Qin Er Shi discussed with Zhao Gao, "I am young and just ascended the throne. The mass has not submitted to my rule."

Èrshì yǔ Zhào Gāo móu yuē: “Zhèn niánshào, chū jíwèi, qiánshǒu wèi jífù.”

二世與趙高謀曰：「朕年少，初即位，黔首未集附。」

二世与赵高谋曰：「朕年少，初即位，黔首未集附。」

King Wen of Wei asked,"I conform to the wish of Heaven and become the emperor. Why are you unhappy?"

Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5ᵗʰ century CE

Dì wèn yuē: “Zhèn yìngtiānshòumìng, qīng héyǐ bù yuè?”

帝問曰：「朕應天受命，卿何以不樂？」

帝问曰：「朕应天受命，卿何以不乐？」

(imperial) I; my (similar to the royal we; reserved for use by the emperor since the Qin Dynasty)


樓

→ Thai: เหลา (lǎo, “restaurant”)

→ Vietnamese: lầu

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡ·roː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 婁 (OC *ɡ·roː, *ɡ·ro).

Han compound

銀樓

银楼

酒樓

酒楼

青樓

青楼


檨

→ Tsou: suai

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 羨.
An Austroasiatic substrate loanword; compare Khmer ស្វាយ (svaay, “mango”), Vietnamese xoài (“mango”).


欺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰɯ): phonetic 其 (OC *kɯ, *ɡɯ) + semantic 欠 (“breath”)

Han compound

欺騙

欺骗

to deceive; to cheat; to swindle; to defraud

欺詐

欺诈

to deceive oneself as well as others; to fool oneself and others

自欺欺人

^† to excel; to surpass; to be better than


梨

→ Malay: lai (“pear”)

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *rəj (“pear”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ril): phonetic 利 (OC *rids) + semantic 木.
Unknown. Also found in Proto-Hmong-Mien *rəj; folk etymology derives this from 利 (OC *rids, “sharp”) (Schuessler, 2007).


柿

→ Proto-Mien: *djəiᴮ

/t͡sʰiː¹³⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰiː¹³⁻³⁵/

Originally written as 柹: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zrɯʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 𠂔 ().
The current form is phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zrɯʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 市 (OC *djɯʔ).


殊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *to, *djo): semantic 歺 + phonetic 朱 (OC *tjo).
Perhaps related to 觸 (OC *tʰjoɡ, “to butt, knock against”); see there for more (STEDT).


檻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡraːmʔ, *ɡraːms): semantic 木 + phonetic 監 (OC *kraːm, *kraːms).
Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kram (“fence, garden”). Cognate with Burmese ခြံ (hkram, “fence; garden; to surround”). Also compare Tibetan ཁྲམ (khram, “notched wood”) (> ཁྲམ་ཁ (khram kha, “cut, notch [in wood]”), ཁྲམ་ཤིང (khram shing, “tallystick”)).

cog

門檻

门槛


是

Wutunhua: hai

Characters in the same phonetic series (是) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Originally a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djeʔ): semantic 早 + phonetic 止 (OC *kjɯʔ), but the original meaning is unclear. It has been suggested that 早 looks like a spoon, so 是 may have been the original character for 匙 (OC *dje, “spoon”). As early as in late bronze inscriptions, the lower part of 早 split off and combined with 止 to give 昰, which carried over to the small seal script, and Shuowen considers this a compound of 日 (“sun”) + 正 (“upright; right”) (i.e. as the upright sun).
“This [an independent pronoun] > this, it [object recapitulation], be right, correct, so > to be, indeed”. The modern copulative sense only emerged by the Eastern Han dynasty (Dobson, 1964; Norman, 1988; Zürcher, 2013), and gradually replaced the archaic 唯 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”) and the classical copulative construction with 也 (OC *laːlʔ).
This was due to the lack of a left-branching copula as archaic 唯 shifted into a contrasting and restricting particle, as well as its frequent use in presentational copulative constructions, often in the form of "A, 是 B 也" ("A, this is B"), which led to it being gradually reinterpreted as the copula instead of 也. Also note the semantic opposition with literary negative copula 非 (OC *pɯl) as in "right" and "wrong", which emerged by the Warring States period from the frequent collocation of the expression "是 X 也, 非 Y 也" (This is X, not Y) (Pulleyblank, 1995) .
To understand this development, compare 之 (OC *tjɯ, “him, it, this > possessive”), 其 (OC *kɯ, “he, his, its > dialectal possessive”). Compare French c’est which in colloquial speech often replaces copula est, as well as Japanese は, the topic particle like Old Chinese 者 (OC *tjaːʔ), 也 (OC *laːlʔ, “topicalizer”) and left-branching 夫 (OC *ba), but frequently misinterpreted as the copula by learners.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-daj ~ m-di (“that; this”). In Chinese, cognate with 寔 (OC *djɯɡ, “this (subject contrastive)”), 實 (OC *ɦliɡ, “this (subject contrastive)”), 之 (OC *tjɯ, “this; him; her; it (oblique)”), 諟 (OC *djeʔ, “to examine, to consider”). In Tibeto-Burman, cognate with Tibetan དེ (de, “that”), Jingpho dai, ndai (“this”), and Burmese ဒီ (di, “this”).

och-l

The River Thames is the second longest river in the UK.

Tàiwùshìhé shì Yīngguó dì'èr cháng de héliú.

泰晤士河是英國第二長的河流。

泰晤士河是英国第二长的河流。

It was a woman, with streaks of white in her hair, wearing ragged clothes.

Diēdǎo de shì yī ge nǚrén, huābái tóufà, yīfú dōu hěn pòlàn.

跌倒的是一個女人，花白頭髮，衣服都很破爛。

跌倒的是一个女人，花白头发，衣服都很破烂。

indicating that the subject and object are the same.


某

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 木 (“tree”) + 甘 (“sweet”); original form of 梅 (OC *mɯː). Similar to 果 and 栗. Similar but unrelated to 柑.
Possibly Austroasiatic; compare Mon မူ (“what; anything”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

𣐥
厶:in仏
姥
媒
厶
妻

張某

张某

Used in place of a person's given name, for anonymity purposes.

Of course the disciples and pupils, following a teacher, will advocate his doctrines and imitate his conduct. Only, they are not as powerful and not as clever. Now, since such was the conduct of Kong Such-and-Such (Confucius), the Ruist (Confucian) scholars are naturally to be objects of suspicion.

Mozi, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on Y. P. Mei's version

Fū wéi dìzǐ hòushēng, qí shī, bì xiū qí yán, fǎ qí xíng, lì bùzú, zhì fú jí ér hòu yǐ. Jīn Kǒng mǒu zhī xíng rúcǐ, rúshì zé kěyǐ yí yǐ.

夫為弟子後生，其師，必修其言，法其行，力不足、知弗及而後已。今孔某之行如此，儒士則可以疑矣。

夫为弟子后生，其师，必修其言，法其行，力不足、知弗及而后已。今孔某之行如此，儒士则可以疑矣。

Used in place of someone else's given name, to show dissatisfaction.

Used in place of one's own given name, to refer to oneself with an intensified emotion.


氮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 气 (“gas”) + abbreviated phonetic 淡 (dàn, “dilute”).
From 淡 (dàn, “dilute”) in 淡氣／淡气 [19th c.], referring to nitrogen diluting oxygen in the air.


氛

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰɯn, *bɯn): semantic 气 + phonetic 分 (OC *pɯn, *bɯns).


標

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pew, *pewʔ): semantic 木 + phonetic 票 (OC *pʰew).

Han compound

(literary) topmost branches of a tree; treetop


汆

/t͡sʰu̯än⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰu̯än⁵⁵/

Compound of 入水 (“go into water”).
Specification of the level-toned 爨 (MC tshwan) (Zhengzhang, 2003).


欖

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡ·raːmʔ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 覽 (OC *ɡ·raːmʔ).
See 橄欖／橄榄 (gǎnlǎn).


櫃

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (櫃):
* → Korean: 궤(櫃) (gwe)
* → Vietnamese: quỹ (櫃)

→ Vietnamese: cũi (“cage”), quầy (櫃, “counter”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡruds): semantic 木 (“wooden”) + phonetic 匱 (OC *ɡruds, “box”).

Han compound

(Hong Kong, Taiwan) Short for 貨櫃／货柜 (huòguì, “shipping container”).


故

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (故):
* → Japanese: 故(こ) (ko)
* → Korean: 고(故) (go)
* → Vietnamese: cố (故)

→ Proto-Tai: *kawᴮ (“old”)

Ahom: 𑜀𑜧 (kaw)

Lao: ເກົ່າ (kao)

Lü: ᦂᧁᧈ (k̇aw¹)

Tai Dam: ꪹꪀ꪿ꪱ

Shan: ၵဝ်ႇ (kào)

Thai: เก่า (gào)

Zhuang: gaeuq

Characters in the same phonetic series (古) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːs): phonetic 古 (OC *kaːʔ) + semantic 攵.
Derivative of 古 (OC *kaːʔ, “old”). The sense “cause, reason” may be related to (“thing or person of former times”), or the same word as 固 (OC *kaːs, “solid, secure, sure”) (Schuessler 2007, apud Pulleyblank 1989).

被難

to be killed in a disaster, political incident

已故


暴

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (暴):
* → Japanese: 暴(ぼう) (bō)
* → Korean: 포(暴) (po)
* → Vietnamese: bạo (暴)

This character 暴 itself originates from 𮲡 (original form of 曝), an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 日 (“sun”) + 共 (“hands lifting something”) – to expose to the sun. 米 (“rice”) was later added to emphasize the meaning of drying things out in the sun.
The sense of "violence" was represented by 𫻺 in oracle bone script; ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 虎 (“tiger”) + 戈 (“weapon”). However, by the time of bamboo slip script, usage of 𫻺 had been replaced entirely by phonetically borrowing 暴.

Han compound

㫧
㬥
㬧
曓
𣉱
𣊴
𣊻
曝
虣
𣋏
𣋳
𣋴
發

暴躁


氦

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 气 (“gas”) + phonetic 亥 (hài).
Borrowed from New Latin helium.


桃

→ Thai: ท้อ (tɔ́ɔ)

/tʰou̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/tʰou̯²¹⁻³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'aːw): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 兆 (OC *l'ewʔ).
Possibly borrowed from the linguistic ancestor of Proto-Hmong-Mien *glaau³ᴬ (Bodman 1980, Schuessler, 2007). The oldest-known domesticated peach stones so far have been excavated in Zhejiang, east of the Central Plain cradle of Chinese civilization.

Han compound

桃花

桃樹

桃树

Young and tender is the peach tree; bright and radiant shall its blossoms be.
Going to her future home is this young lady; may her house and chamber well-ordered be!

Táo zhī yāoyāo, zhuózhuó qí huá.
Zhī zǐ yúguī, yí qí shìjiā.

桃之夭夭、灼灼其華。
之子于歸、宜其室家。

桃之夭夭、灼灼其华。
之子于归、宜其室家。

Prunus persica
Prunus persica#Translingual


氯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 气 (“gas”) + phonetic 彔. 彔 is also a reduced form of 綠 (“green”), serving as a semantic component.
From 綠氣／绿气 (“green gas”) in the 19th century, which is a calque of English chlorine, referring to the colour of chlorine gas.


歐

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qoː, *qoːʔ): phonetic 區 (OC *qoː, *kʰo) + semantic 欠 (“to yawn; to exhale”) – to vomit (original form of 嘔).

Han compound

英歐關係

英欧关系

Short for 歐盟／欧盟 (Ōuméng, “European Union”).


殖

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

Han compound

to breed; to reproduce; to spawn; to increase


棺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *koːn, *koːns): semantic 木 + phonetic 官 (OC *koːn).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kwaŋ (“trough; boat; box; tray”) (STEDT's provisional reconstruction).

inh

There was Li; when he died, he had a coffin but no outer shell.

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

鯉也死，有棺而無椁。

鲤也死，有棺而无椁。

(now Southern Min or in compounds) coffin; inner coffin


毯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰaːmʔ): semantic 毛 + phonetic 炎 (OC *ɦlam).


果

Pictogram (象形) – fruits on a tree. Related to the original form of 采. Compare 栗 and 某. Unrelated to 喿.
Possibly related to 卵 (OC *ɡ·roːlʔ, *ɡ·roːnʔ, “egg”) (Sagart and Ma, 2020).

果然

果真

The speaker has (a meaning in) his words. If, however, what he says, be indeterminate (as from a mind not made up), does he then really speak or not?

Yán zhě yǒu yán, qí suǒ yán zhě tè wèi dìng yě. Guǒ yǒu yán yé?

言者有言，其所言者特未定也。果有言邪？


氫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 气 (“air; gas”) + abbreviated phonetic 輕 (qīng, “light; of low density”).
From 輕／轻 (qīng, “light; of low density”) in 輕氣／轻气 [19th c.]. So named as hydrogen gas is lighter than air.


梁

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

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (梁):
* → Korean: 양(梁) (Yang)
* → Vietnamese: Lương (梁)

→ Bouyei: Liangz, Liangf

desc

→ English: Liang, Leung, Leong, Neo, Leo

→ Zhuang: Liengz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *raŋ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 刅 (OC *sʰraŋ) + semantic 木 (“wood”) — a bridge.

Han compound

孟子見梁惠王。

孟子见梁惠王。

The State of Wei during the Warring States period, after moving its capital to Daliang


楓

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *plum): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 風 (OC *plum, *plums)


林

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (林):
* → Japanese: 林(りん) (rin)
* → Korean: 림(林) (rim), 임(林) (im)
* → Vietnamese: lâm (林)

→ English: Lin, Lam, Lum, Lim

→ Tagalog: Lim

Duplication of 木 (“tree”) to give the idea of multiple trees (compare 森), thus a forest. See also the top component of 散 in its original version.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ram (“jungle; forest; country; field”) (STEDT). Cognate with 森 (OC *srɯm, “forest”), Mizo ram (“forest; country”), Karbi ram (“jungle”).
Or perhaps an area word (Schuessler, 2007), shared with Khmer រាម (riəm, “thick bushy jungle that grows along a stream”), Old Khmer *rām (“inundated forest along a watercourse”), Old Khmer sarāma ~ sarāṃ (“a tract of stunted vegetation”), Mon ရာံ (rèm, “copse; patch of woodland”).

御林軍

the troops responsible for protecting the capital or the emperor

Lin Moniang (a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles)

林默娘

Lin Biao (a Marshal of the People's Republic of China)

林彪

a surname, commonly romanized as Lin, Lim, and Lam


柱

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *toʔ, *doʔ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 主 (OC *tjoʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *duːŋ (“post; column”) (STEDT). Cognate with 拄 (OC *toʔ, “to support”), as well as Proto-Kuki-Chin *tuŋ-I, *tun-II (“to erect; post; vertical”), Proto-Central Naga *tuŋ (“stem; trunk; post; tree”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

inh

string instrument
string instrument#English

(music) bridge (on a string instrument, such as a guzheng)

2017 January 21, “柏傲灣400伙即日沽清”, in 文匯報 [Wen Wei Po], page A06:

zok⁶ jat⁶ teoi¹ sau⁶ daan¹ wai⁶⁻² zung¹, ji⁶ bi¹ zo⁶ dik¹ ei¹, si¹ kap⁶ ef¹ sat¹ “saam¹ cyu⁵” dik¹ jat¹ fong⁴⁻² kap⁶ loeng⁵ fong⁴⁻² gaan³ gaak³ seot¹ sin¹ gu¹ cing¹.

昨日推售單位中，2B座的A、C及F室「三柱」的一房及兩房間隔率先沽清。

昨日推售单位中，2B座的A、C及F室「三柱」的一房及两房间隔率先沽清。

(Hong Kong Cantonese) flats of the same layout on different floors


明

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
Shuowen
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

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (明):
* → Japanese: 明(みょう) (myō); 明(めい) (mei); 明(みん) (Min)
* → Korean: 명(明) (Myeong)
* → Vietnamese: minh (明)

Characters in the same phonetic series (明) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 日 (“sun”) + 月 (“moon”) – the sun just rising and the moon not yet set – dawn (天明 (tiānmíng)). Alternatively, it may be interpreted as two bright celestial bodies – bright. This form was already found in the oracle bone script and was prevalent throughout the eras.
Three other forms were found in the oracle bone script:
* 朙 (míng) < 囧 (“window”) + 月 – the moon shining through a window – moonlight. This form was also prevalent in the ancient scripts and was considered to be the standard form in Shuowen. See this form's entry for its historical forms.
* 眀 (míng) < 目 (“eye”) + 月 – bright eyes. This form was rarely attested, so it is still uncertain whether this form is actually equivalent to 明. It reappeared in the bamboo script of the Qin dynasty, but this was probably a corruption of 朙 (míng).
* 𤰾 < 田 + 月 – probably a corruption of the above forms.
Of either Proto-Sino-Tibetan origin, compare
* Tibetan མདངས (mdangs, “facial color, appearance, brightness”) (Bodman, 1980), or
* Proto-Sino-Tibetan *brwaŋ (“loud; bright”) (STDET); making it cognate with Burmese ပြင်း (prang:, “acute; violent”), Burmese ပြောင် (praung, “to shine”).
Or from Austroasiatic, cognate with 亮 (OC *raŋs, “bright”) (Schuessler, 2007). For more see 亮 (OC *raŋs).
盟 (OC *mraŋ, *mraːŋs, “covenant”) is a derivative (Schuessler, 2007).


每

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (每):
* → Japanese: 每(まい) (mai)
* → Korean: 매(每) (mae)
* → Vietnamese: mỗi (每)

→ Vietnamese: mọi

Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mɯːʔ): semantic 屮 + phonetic 母 (OC *mɯʔ). Perhaps, in this character, the top component represents a hairpin (笄) made of bamboo to indicate that the woman was at least 15 years old.
Otherwise, partly in accordance to the interpretation of Xu Shen, the sprout indicates that the woman was considered adult and ready to be married and generate sons.
See the original form of 敖, in which the top component is the same. See also 毒.
The top component of the character is unrelated to 旅, 伤, 复, 乞 as well as 人.
Possibly from Proto-Mon-Khmer *muuj (“cardinal number one”) (Schuessler, 2007).


殼

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰroːɡ): semantic 几 + phonetic 𣪊 (). Originally written as 㱿 (què), see there for more.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/r-kawk ~ *s/r-kwak (“outer covering, skin, bark, rind”). Cognate with 革 (OC *krɯːɡ, “leather”), Burmese ခေါက် (hkauk, “tree bark”), Tibetan སྐོག་པ་ (skog pa, “shell, peel”) (STEDT, Hill (2019)).

cog

飯殼／饭壳 [Cantonese] ― faan⁶ hok³ [Jyutping] ― rice scoop

一殼眼淚／一壳眼泪 [Cantonese] ― jat¹ hok³ ngaan⁵ leoi⁶ [Jyutping] ― grief (literally, “a ladle of tears”)


汪

→ Tagalog: Ong (via Hokkien)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʷaːŋ, *qʷaːŋs, *qʷaŋʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 㞷 ().

Han compound

Wang Jingwei (Chinese politician and Japanese collaborator)

汪精衛

汪精卫

a surname, listed 104th in the Hundred Family Surnames


氧

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 气 (“gas”) + abbreviated phonetic 養 (yǎng, “to nourish”).
From 養／养 (yǎng, “to nourish”) in 養氣／养气 [19th c.], referring to oxygen's role in sustaining life. Derivative: 𨦡／𰽽 (yáng, “oxonium”).


橋

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *ɟow

→ Vietnamese: cầu

→ Zhuang: giuz

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯¹³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡrew): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 喬 (OC *krew, *ɡrew).
Possibly related to 撟 (OC *krew, *krewʔ, “to raise; to lift”), 高 (OC *kaːw, “high; tall”) (Liu, 1999).


氈

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjan): phonetic 亶 (OC *taːnʔ) + semantic 毛 (“hair, fur”).
In some fonts, the lower left is 且 (instead of 旦).

Han compound

felt underlay (used in Chinese calligraphy)

A person and a blanket, how can one hug?

2020, 馮允謙 (Jay Fung), 愛斯基摩人之吻 (Eskimo Kiss)

jat¹ go³ jan⁴ jat¹ zoeng¹ zin¹ zam² soeng¹ jung²

一個人一張氈怎相擁

一个人一张毡怎相拥

(Cantonese, Pinghua, Eastern Min, Teochew) blanket; rug; carpet (Classifier: 張／张 c)


毽

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 毛 (“feather”) + phonetic 建.


沝

/ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/

/ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 水 (“water; river”) + 水 (“water; river”). Compare 淼 (OC *mewʔ) and 㵘.

Alternative form of 水 (shuǐ, “water; river (especially as a Min word)”)


歇

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰad): phonetic 曷 (OC *ɡaːd) + semantic 欠.
Related to 愒 (OC *kʰrad) (Sagart, 2007) and 憩 (OC *kʰrads) (Wang, 1982).


歷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *reːɡ): phonetic 厤 (OC *reːɡ) + semantic 止.
Schuessler (2007) considered this word to be of Sino-Tibetan origin and a cognate to Burmese ရေ (re, “to count”), Kinnauri ri (“to count”), Tibetan རྩི (rtsi, “to count; to calculate”), and རྩིས་པ (rtsis pa, “astronomer”); however, STEDT derives Burmese ရေ (re) & Tibetan རྩི (rtsi) from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-tsjəj (“to count”) and does not compare them to Chinese 歷.
:One derivative is 曆 (OC *rêk), meaning "calendrical calculations" (Shu) → "calendar";
:Another derivative is exopassive 麗 (OC *rê(k)h), meaning "what is calculated → number" (Shi), whose possible allofam is 麗 (OC *rêh).


款

Originally 歀 (kuài), phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): phonetic 柰 (OC *naːds) + semantic 欠 (“lacking, desire”), meaning “desire”. The 木 component was simplified into 士 via libian, similar to 隸→隷.
Shuowen Jiezi interprets it as phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰloːnʔ): abbreviated phonetic 窾 (OC *kʰloːnʔ) + semantic 欠 (“lacking, desire”).

Han compound

*欵
歀
㱁
𣢻
𣣙
𣤂

(law) subsection; subparagraph; subclause (in bills)

(Hokkien) Classifier for varieties: kind; sort; type ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


洢

ancient name of the Yihe River in Henan Province, China


根

Monic languages
redundancy (linguistics)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kɯːn): semantic 木 + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).
Possibly of Austroasiatic origin (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *(d)kər (“tree, plant”) (whence Proto-Vietic *kəl > Vietnamese cây, Muong câl), *d₂gəl ~ d₂g(əə)l (“trunk; stump”) (whence Khmer គល់ (kŭəl, “stump; floating log”), Proto-Monic *t(l)gəl (“stump”)).
Alternatively, Smith (2011) proposes a derivation from 荄 (OC *kɯː, “grassroot”) with redundant nominalizing suffix *-n. See 荄 for more.

Han compound

(mathematics) solution to an algebraic equation (Classifier: 個／个 m)


檯

→ Zhuang: daiz

/tʰɔːi̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/hᵘɔi²¹⁻²¹⁵/

/tʰɔːi̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/hᵘɔi²¹⁻²¹⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *dɯː): semantic 木 + phonetic 臺 (OC *dɯː).

Han compound

兩檯客

两台客

(dialectal, including Cantonese) Classifier for tablefuls of dishes or people: table


樣

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (樣):
* → Japanese: 様(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 양(樣) (yang)
* → Vietnamese: dạng (樣)

desc

→ Khmer: យ៉ាង (yaang, “kind, type, way, particle for forming adverbial phrases”)

→ Lao: ຢ່າງ (yāng, “kind, type; standard, pattern; way, method”)

→ Lü: ᦊᦱᧂᧈ (ẏaang¹)

→ Lü: ᦊᦱᧂᧈ (ẏaang¹)

→? Malay: yang (“(he, the one) who, (that) which”)

→ Mongolian: зан (zan)

→ Northern Thai: ᩀ᩵ᩣ᩠ᨦ

→ Thai: อย่าง (yàang, “variety; kind; manner; like, as; adverbial particle”), เยี่ยง (yîiang, “like, as if; example, model”)

→ Proto-Turkic: *yaŋ

→ Old Uyghur: yaŋ

→ Karakhanid: يَانگ

→ Vietnamese: dáng (“gait, figure”), dường (“to seem, to be like”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *laŋs): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 羕 (OC *laŋs).
; “appearance; etc.”
; “(ACG slang) -sama”

Han compound

有樣嘢叫

有样嘢叫

三樣菜

三样菜

Classifier for kinds or types of things.


橙

→ Thai: เช้ง (chéeng)

→ Vietnamese: chanh

/t͡sʰaːŋ²¹⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰaŋ²²⁻²²⁵/

/t͡sʰaːŋ²¹⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰaŋ²²⁻²²⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tɯːŋs, *rdɯːŋ): semantic 木 (“tree; wood”) + phonetic 登 (OC *tɯːŋ).

Han compound

orange (the fruit) (Classifier: 隻／只 c; 楷 c)


泔

(Eastern Min, Hokkien) Alternative form of 飲／饮 (“rice water”)