字

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (字):
* → Japanese: 字(じ) (ji)
* → Korean: 자(字) (ja)
* → Vietnamese: tự (字)

→ Proto-Tai: *ɟɤ:ᴮ (“name”)

Lao: ຊື່ (sư̄, “name”)

Thai: ชื่อ (chʉ̂ʉ, “name”)

Zhuang: coh (“name”)

desc

→ Vietnamese: chữ (“script; letter; writing; word”), chửa (“to be pregnant”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (子) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zlɯs): semantic 宀 (“roof”) + phonetic 子 (OC *ʔslɯʔ, “child”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsa ~ za (“child; to give birth; to take care; to be kind”). Related to:
* 子 (OC *ʔslɯʔ, “child, son”) (also its phonetic component)
* 慈 (OC *zɯ, “to be kind, loving”)
* 滋 (OC *ʔsɯ, “to nourish, to grow”)
* 詞 (OC *ljɯ, “word, term”)
* 辭 (OC *ljɯ, “word, from testimony”)
Original sense (1): “to become pregnant, to give birth to, to nurture, to love” has essentially become obsolete. The sense (2) “letter, character” is either from a different root or a derivation from the sense “to produce, to generate”.
Cognate with Tibetan ཚ་བོ (tsha bo, “nephew”), Tibetan ཚ་རུས (tsha rus, “descendant”), Tibetan བཙའ (btsa', “to give birth to; to guard”), Tibetan མཛའ (mdza', “kind, peaceful, friendly”) (Quan, 1996), Burmese စာ (ca, “writing, letter”).


己

→ Zhuang: geij

Pictogram (象形) – silk rope for binding objects. Original form of 紀 (OC *kɯʔ). The character must not be confused with 已 and 巳.
Unknown (Schuessler, 2007).


抱

Characters in the same phonetic series (勹) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *buːʔ): semantic 扌 + phonetic 包 (OC *pruː) – hold in one’s hands. Note that 包 has the meaning of “wrap”, hence connotations of “wrap in one’s hands, embrace”, thereby also making it an ideogrammic compound.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bəw (“to carry (on back or shoulders)”). Cognate with 保 (OC *puːʔ, “to protect, rear”), Manipuri ꯄꯨ (poo, “to carry”), Mizo [Term?] (pu, “to carry (on the back / shoulders)”), Burmese ပိုး (pui:, “to carry on the back, add onto”) (STEDT).


扁

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 戶 (“door”) + 冊 (“bamboo tablets”) – to inscribe on the door, or two things that are flat and thin.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *pyar (“flat, thin”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007).


慶

→ Old Turkic:

Turkmen: geň

Xiezhi
bronze inscriptions
oracle bone inscriptions

In oracle bone inscriptions Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 廌 (“Xiezhi”) + 心. The component 心 represented the beautiful markings of the mythical beast, signifying goodness, blessings and auspiciousness.
In bronze inscriptions 心 is often also written as 文. During the Warring states period, the tail of 廌 corrupted into 个, then further into 夂 during the Qin dynasty. Based on the overlap between the many ancient variants of the character Ji, Xusheng (2004) suggests that 麕, 廌, 麐, 鹿 all refer to kinds of deer – beautiful and therefore worth celebrating when obtained. He also concludes that there is enough evidence that 慶 and 麐 were once the same character. Since 麐 was the most precious among deer, its character was used to express celebration.
Uncertain. Schuessler (2007) sees possible cognacy to Tibetan གཡང (g.yang, “happiness, blessing, prosperity”), which Bodman (1980) relates instead to 祥 (OC *ljaŋ).


幸

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (幸):
* → Japanese: 幸(こう) (kō)
* → Korean: 행(幸) (haeng)
* → Vietnamese: hạnh (幸)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡreːŋʔ): phonetic 犬 (OC *kʰʷeːnʔ) + semantic 羊. Original meaning is unclear. 羊 often appears as a component with a positive meaning. See 祥, 善 and 義.
Shuowen interprets it as an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 屰 (“opposite”) + 夭 (“death”) – lucky to be alive; fortunate.


扔

Old Turkic: ?

→ Turkmen: zyňmak

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njɯŋ, *njɯŋs): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 乃 (OC *nɯːʔ).


徒

Small seal script: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'aː): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 土 (OC *l̥ʰaːʔ, *l'aːʔ). Later corrupted into 彳 + 走.

Han compound

𢓂
𨑒
𨑡
𢔗
𣥲
𧺔
𧺑
𬾉
𠫠
𠫮


括

→ Thai: กวด (gùuat)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *koːd): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 𠯑 (OC *ɡroːd).


拖

Variant form of 拕／拖 (tuō), phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l̥ʰaːl, *l̥ʰaːls): semantic 手 + phonetic 它 (OC *l̥ʰaːl).


戶

Sino-Xenic (戶):
* → Vietnamese: hộ (戶)

→ Vietnamese: họ (戶)

Pictogram (象形): one-half of 門 (“gate”). The character in its original form is similar to 𠁣.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-k(w)a-j (“mouth; opening; spread; door; face; jaw”). Cognate with Tibetan སྒོ (sgo, “door”).


扣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰoːʔ, *kʰoːs): semantic 手 + phonetic 口 (OC *kʰoːʔ).


截

/t͡siɛt̚¹²¹/

/t͡siɛt̚¹²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zeːd): phonetic 雀 (OC *ʔsewɢ) + semantic 戈.


怕

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰraːɡs, *pʰraːɡ): semantic 心 (“heart”) + phonetic 白 (OC *braːɡ).
Cognate with 怖 (OC *pʰaːs) (Wang, 1982; Schuessler, 2007). Compare Proto-Kuki-Chin *phoo(k/ŋ) (“to startle; to alarm; to wake up”), whence Mizo phâwk (“to startle; to frighten”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). Also compare Proto-Monic *phiic (“to be afraid”), whence Mon ဖေက် (“to fear”) (Schuessler, 2007).


從

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 辵 (“walk”) + 从 (“follow”).
Etymology not certain. Perhaps cognate with Tibetan རྫོང་བ (rdzong ba, “to dispatch; to dismiss”) (Schuessler, 2007). Alternatively, compare Tibetan སྟོངས་པ (stongs pa, “to accompany”), or perhaps 送 (OC *sloːŋs, “to escort; to send”).
Pronunciation 2 is a derivation of pronunciation 1.


押

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kraːb, *qraːb): semantic 扌 + phonetic 甲 (OC *kraːb).
Cognate with 壓 (OC *qreːb) (Schuessler, 2007).


對

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (對):
* → Japanese: 対(たい) (tai); 対(つい) (tsui)
* → Korean: 대(對) (dae)
* → Vietnamese: đối (對)

→ Ai-Cham: toi⁵

→ Vietnamese: đôi (“double”)

→ Old Turkic: tāy (“pair , side”)

→ Azerbaijani: tay

→ Turkmen: taý

In the oracle bone and bronze scripts, it was an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 丵 (“tool for digging”) + 土 (“earth”) + 又 (“hand”). The original meaning of the character is unclear, but it may be “to develop (land)”. It was later borrowed for “to reply”. Compare 封, 邦.
In the seal script, 又 has become the related 寸. Shuowen has two seal script forms for this character: 𡭊 (main form) and 對 (alternative form). The main form, which has a 口 (“mouth”), was probably created to specialize the character to signify “to reply”, but this form was not inherited in later scripts. Shuowen interprets the latter form (shown above) as a form that Emperor Wen of Han created by replacing 口 with 士 (“soldier; warrior”) because many of the replies were untruthful (just lip service), but it is more likely that 士 is a corruption of 土.
Exoactive of 答 (OC *tkuːb, “to reply; to answer”) (Schuessler, 2007).


承

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 卩 (“kneeling person”) + 廾 (“both hands”) – to hold; to carry. Compare 丞. In the seal script, an additional hand 手 was added.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-tjaŋ (“upper part; rise; raise”) (STEDT).


巴

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (巴):
* → Japanese: 巴(は) (Ha)
* → Korean: 파(巴) (Pa)
* → Vietnamese: Ba (巴)

Pictogram (象形) — a huge snake. However, in 邑 and 色 (both Kangxi radicals) it represents a person kneeling.
; "huge snake"
; "bar"


拔

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bruːd, *boːd, *bod): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 犮 (OC *boːd) – a hand pulls.
Compare perhaps Burmese ပြုတ် (prut, “to be dislocated; to lose”).


拓

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰaːɡ, *tjaɡ): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 石 (OC *djaɡ).
Inherited from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *l-t(j)ak (“upper surface, top, above, palate; to climb, lift, ascend”) (STEDT). See Burmese တက် (tak, “to climb up, get in a vehicle”) for more cognates.

cog

柝
搨
黜
托:to poke; to uncover someone's secret


思

Original form was 恖 (OC *snɯ), considered by Shuowen to be a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *snɯ, *snɯs): phonetic 囟 (OC *snɯns) + semantic 心 (“heart”). It may also be a ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 囟 (“fontanel”) + 心 (“heart”).
囟 started to corrupt into the unrelated 田 as early as the silk script.


懸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷeːn): phonetic 縣 (OC *ɡʷeːn, *ɡʷeːns) + semantic 心 (“heart”) – to be concerned (in one’s heart).

Han compound

悬
𢝝
悬
𢝝
高
峘
危


才

/t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

Pictogram (象形) — a sharp peg. Same as 弋. See also the top component of 𢦏.
Xu Shen erroneously analyzed this character as a sprout growing from the ground.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsa ~ za (“child, offspring, relatives; to come forth (as child at birth); to love; loving”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). "Birth" and "natural characteristic / endowments" are semantically connected, compare 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “live, give birth”) and its derivative 性 (OC *sleŋs, “nature; character; personality; quality”) & 姓 (OC *sleŋs, “family name”). Cognate with 子 ("son").
Derivatives: 材 (OC *zlɯː, “material; timber”), 財 (OC *zlɯː, “riches; property; money”), and 存 ("to exist").

och-l

纔
裁
乍
則
即
者
隻


弓

Characters in the same phonetic series (弓) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a bow. See also the original version of 射.
Possibly related to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *kuːŋ (“tree, branch, stem”) (Coblin, 1986), semantically connected with the shape of a bent tree branch. Cognate with Burmese ကိုင်း (kuing:, “to bend over; to be bent”), အကိုင်း (a.kuing:, “stalk; branch”), Tedim Chin [script needed] (kung¹, “tree”), Jingpho kung (“to branch; to grow”), lakung (“branch; limb”), Lepcha ᰀᰩᰵ (kóng, “branch”), ᰀᰫᰵ (kúng, “tree”) (STEDT).
Schuessler (2007) proposes that both Old Chinese 弓 (OC *kʷɯŋ) and Proto-Tibeto-Burman *kuːŋ are derived from Proto-Mon-Khmer *koŋ, whence Nyah Kur [script needed] (kóoŋ, “bent (in the middle)”), Mon ကိုၚ် (“to be bent”), Khmer កោង (kaong, “to bend; to be bent”), Khasi pyrkhung (“to bend; to arch”), Pear kuŋ (“bend”), Vietnamese cong (“to be bent, curved”).
Also compare Proto-Tibeto-Burman *ku(ː)m (“arched; vaulted”)
Derivatives are 肱 (OC *kʷɯːŋ, “(upper) arm”) and 穹 (OC *kʰʷɯŋ, “arched; vault; sky”).


成

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (成):
* → Vietnamese: thành (成)

→ Zhuang: cingz (“tenth”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (成) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djeŋ): semantic 戊 + phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ). The phonetic component is not 囗 or 口, as folk etymology states. According to Xi Jusheng 季旭昇, its original meaning was "city walls", with a reference to something protected conveyed by the weapon. Its original meaning is preserved in 城.
Cognate with 盛 (OC *djeŋ, “to hold with a receptacle”), 城 (OC *djeŋ, “city wall; city”), 盛 (OC *djeŋs, “abundant; flourishing”) (Schuessler, 2007).
According to Bodman (1980), cognate with Tibetan གྱང (gyang, “wall”), Tibetan འགེངས་པ ('gengs pa, “to fill”), Tibetan བཀང (bkang, “to fill to the brim”), Tibetan སྐོང་བ (skong ba, “to fulfill”).

cog

成奎安


摯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjibs): phonetic 執 (OC *tjib) + semantic 手 (“hand”).


攀

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰraːn): phonetic 樊 (OC *ban) + semantic 手 (“hand”).


戰

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (戰):
* → Vietnamese: chiến (戰)

/t͡sʰiɛŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰiɛŋ²¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjans): phonetic 單 (OC *taːn, *djan, *djanʔ, *djans) + semantic 戈 (“halberd”) – battling with a halberd.
Benedict (1972) thinks it a cognate to Tibetan རལ་གྲི (ral gri, “sword”), Mizo râl (“enemy”), both from Proto-Tibeto-Burman *g-raːl ~ *g-ran ~ *ray (“enemy, quarrel, strife, fight, war, sword”), yet Schuessler (2007) thinks it unlikely that Old Chinese *t- corresponds to Tibeto-Burman *r-.
Instead he proposes that "war, battle" is semantically extended from "tremble, fear" and so 戰 (OC *tjans) is cognate with 憚 (OC *daːns) (ibid.); STEDT in turn derives them both from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dar ~ d(u/i)r (“tremble, shiver”).


招

/ʈ͡ʂaʊ̯ɻʷ⁵⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂaʊ̯ɻʷ⁵⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjew): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 召 (OC *dews, *djews) – to beckon with the hand.


度

Originally an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 石 (“rock”) + 又 (“hand”) — hand measuring a piece of rock. Also a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声), with 石 (OC *djaɡ) as a phonetic component. 石 is then corrupted into ⿸广廿.
Shuowen considers it to be a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *daːɡs, *daːɡ): phonetic 庶 (OC *hljaɡs) + semantic 又.
Compare 庶 (OC *hljaɡs) and 席 (OC *ljaːɡ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-twa (“handspan”). Cognate with Tibetan མཐོ (mtho, “span; span of thumb and middle finger”), Burmese ထွာ (htwa, “to measure by a handspan; a quarter yard”), အထွာ (a.htwa, “handspan; quarter yard”), တွက် (twak, “to consider, to reckon; to calculate; to refuse to do things because others would not”), အတွက် (a.twak, “calculation; because of; for the sake of”). It is unclear whether Proto-Mon-Khmer *cɗaʔ (“span; handspan”) (whence Mon ဍ (daˀ, “to measure by spans of thumb and middle finger”)) is related. Related to 圖 (OC *daː, “to plan; to consider; plan; map”).


幼

Characters in the same phonetic series (幼) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 幺 (“tiny”) + 力 (“strength”). 幺 (OC *qiːw) may also act as a phonetic component.


捌

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *brat (“cut apart, cut open”). Cognate to 別.

inh

別
八
仈
白
𧧸
識
曾


撒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *saːd): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 散 (OC *saːnʔ, *saːns) – to scatter with the hand.‘
Cognate with 散 (OC *saːnʔ, *saːns, “to disperse; scattered”). See there for more.


斑

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 珏 (“pieces of jade”) + 文 (“tattoo; stripe”). However, the component 珏 appears as a more conservative version 玨. The original meaning was "mixed colours" with a reference to jade pieces, then it turned into "stripe, spot, mark".
Either the same etymon as 班 (OC *praːn) or related to 駁 (OC *praːwɢ).


揚

Turkmen: ýaň

Turkmen: ýaňlanmak

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *laŋ (“to lift; to raise”) (Schuessler (2007), STEDT), whence Tibetan ལང (lang, “to rise”), Burmese လင့်စင် (lang.cang, “elevated watchtower or lifted platform”).


揭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰrads, *ked, *kʰrad, *ɡrad, *kad, *ɡad): semantic 扌 + phonetic 曷 (OC *ɡaːd).


斡

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʷaːd): phonetic 倝 (OC *kaːns) + semantic 斗.


折

Characters in the same phonetic series (折) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Originally 㪿, an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): ⿱屮屮 (“a tree 木 cut in half”) + 斤 (“axe”) – an axe cutting a tree in half.
In the current form, the left side has become 扌 (“hand”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsjat (“to cut off; to sever; to break”).


攻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *koːŋ, *kuːŋ): phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ) + semantic 攵. However, the phonetic component has a link with the concept of working and putting efforts (e.g., in order to achieve success: 功) and could be seen as the contraction of the character 功.
Cognate with 工 (OC *koːŋ). See there for more.
; “top; seme”


敖

Han char

敖 (Kangxi radical 66, 攴+7, 11 strokes, cangjie input 土尸人大 (GSOK) or 手尸人大 (QSOK), four-corner 4824₀, composition ⿰⿱士方攵)

土尸人大 (cangjie-input)
手尸人大 (cangjie-input)
⿰⿱士方攵 (composition)


敖

Originally 𫠤, a pictogram (象形) depicting a person 人 with a headress similar to 屮 and then 丰 and 出 (but unrelated to these character). Later, the person was stylized as a shape similar to 夭 (a young man walking vigorously); 攴 was added next to the pictogram perhaps to convey the concept of authority, making it a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) and transforming it into 𢾍; the man under the headress then become stylized as 方 (or 万 in some fonts). See also 免, 冒, and 美.
As an alternative, according to 季旭昇 Ji Xusheng, it represents a man walking and travelling in the countryside, symbolized by a sprout 屮 on top. See also the original form of 每.
Shuowen Jiezi erroneously interprets it as an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 出 (“leave”) + 放 (“release”) due to the later stylization.


昊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡuːʔ) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 夰 (OC *kuːʔ, *ɡuːʔ, “release”).


昇

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


後

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (後):
* → Japanese: 後(こう) (kō); 後(ご) (go)
* → Korean: 후(後) (hu)
* → Vietnamese: hậu (後)

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 幺 (“thread”) + 夊 (“foot”) – a foot bound by a rope, thus lagging behind. The component 彳 was added afterwards to emphasize this action.
Note that the simplified form 后 is also a traditional character on its own, with a different meaning.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *hwak (“below”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan འོག ('og, “below”), Burmese အောက် (auk, “under; below”), Burmese နောက် (nauk, “behind”) (from Proto-Lolo-Burmese *ʔok (“lower side; below”)).


昶

/t͡sʰiɔŋ⁵⁵⁴/

/t͡sʰiɔŋ⁵⁵⁴/


晁

/t͡sʰiːu̯²¹/

/t͡sʰiːu̯²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'ew): semantic 日 + phonetic 兆 (OC *l'ewʔ), appeared as a variant form of 鼂／鼌 (cháo).

Han compound

晁錯

晁错


強

Zhengzhang (2003): Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡaŋ, *ɡaŋʔ): phonetic 彊 (OC *kaŋs, *ɡaŋ, *ɡaŋʔ) + semantic 虫 (“insect”).
Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡaŋ, *ɡaŋʔ): phonetic 弘 (OC *ɡʷɯːŋ) + semantic 虫 (“insect”).
The character 強 likely originally referred to the rice weevil, an insect that attacks rice and several other crops, before being phonetically borrowed to represent the sense of "strong; powerful", which was previously represented by the character 彊 (OC *kaŋs, *ɡaŋ, *ɡaŋʔ).
(egg): Typo of 蛋; they have the same keystrokes in Simplified Cangjie.

Han compound

强
强
*彊
强
强
*彊
强
强
犟
勥
*彊


撲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *broːɡ, *pʰoːɡ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 菐 (OC *boːɡ, *puɡ).


扶

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pa, *ba): semantic 扌 + phonetic 夫 (OC *pa, *ba).
Probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *p(l)a-n ~ *p(w)a-n (“palm, sole”), whence also 蹯 (OC *ban, “paw”), Burmese ဝါး (wa:, “handsbreath; palm of hand”) (STEDT).


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).


攏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *roːŋʔ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 龍 (OC *b·roŋ, *mroːŋ).


據

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


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

常遇春


昂

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋaːŋ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 卬 (OC *ŋaːŋ, *ŋaŋʔ, “man standing and man kneeling”).


暨

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡrɯds, *kɯds, *krɯd): phonetic 既 (OC *kɯds) + semantic 旦 (“sunrise”).
Maybe exopassive of 及 (jí) (Baxter 1992, apud Schuessler 2007). Schuessler considers relation to 迄 (qì, “to reach to”) and 既 (jì, “already”) less likely as the Middle Chinese vowels do not agree.
Related to 訖／讫 (qì).


操

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰaːw, *sʰaːws): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 喿 (OC *saːws).


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”).


斬

CJKV/code

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

→ Thai: จาม (jaam)

→ Vietnamese: chém


旗

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).


杲

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 日 (“sun”) + 木 (“tree”) – the sun shining above trees.


曼

Perhaps two hands opening an eye, or two hands over the eyebrows to indicate the eyes looking at a wide place. The second interpretation links this character to 看, a hand over an eye.


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.


暢

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


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).


應

→ English: Ying

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qɯŋ, *qɯŋs): phonetic 䧹 (OC *qɯŋ) + semantic 心 (“heart”).
Related to 膺 (OC *qɯŋ, “breastplate; to oppose”); see there for more (STEDT).

Han compound

应
譍
噟
応
𢈀
𢇭
𠩍
𤻮
𧭭
𡄖


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”.


旁

Chu Silk Manuscript
Qin (state)
Shang dynasty
Spring and Autumn period
Warring States period
Wei (state)
Western Zhou
Wu (state)

Probably phono-semantic (形聲／形声) following the pronunciation of 方 (OC *paŋ, *baŋ).
The upper component, which perhaps indicates the semantic field, is unclear and has evolved significantly in time, including 冖 (Shang), 凡 (Western Zhou), or forms resembling 辛 (Spring and Autumn bronze of Wu) or 用 (Warring States bronze inscription of Wei and proto-clerical script of Qin). In the Chu Silk Manuscript the form was much simplified.
The modern form was a descendant from the clerical script. Hence, a knife or chisel to mark prisoners 辛 is written above the phonetic component 方, perhaps to indicate the concept of moving to remote. However, as already stated, the semantic component in this character is unclear and evolved during time, hence more explanations linked to the earlier versions can be formulated.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *paŋ ~ *pak (“side”) (STEDT). Cognate with Mizo bǎng (“wall, stockage”), as well as possibly Burmese ဘက် (bhak, “side”).


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.

曹操


曠

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


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).


擺

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


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”)


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


提

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

Han compound

提彌明

提弥明


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”).


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.


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


柘

Miyake (1997), apud Schuessler (2007), compared this to Middle Korean [script needed] (tak, “mulberry tree”).


普

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


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


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.


杜

Sino-Xenic (杜):
* → Vietnamese: Đỗ (杜)

→ English: Du, Tu, To, Toh

杜甫


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


晏

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

Han compound

晏殊


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”).


桓

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷaːn): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 亘 ()


曉

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


栩

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


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”).


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)”)


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

Zhang Fei (Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty)

張飛

张飞

張藝謀

张艺谋

a surname. Zhang, listed #24 of the Baijiaxing


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


柰

木 (“tree”) + 示 – a kind of tree (Malus Prunifolia). The component 示 is a reference to a sacrifice, perhaps burning sacrifical timber or sacrifice the small apples produced by this kind of tree. Unrelated to 奈.
;a kind of apple


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


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).


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).


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.


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”).


揣

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯aɪ̯²¹⁴/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯aɪ̯²¹⁴/

Characters in the same phonetic series (耑) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *toːlʔ, *sʰrolʔ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 耑 (OC *toːn).

Han compound

𢭍
𢰚
㪜
找
𢶀
綽
覓
尋
垂
慱
𬣍
挆
挅


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


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).


拉

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


柏

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


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

房玄齡

房玄龄


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).


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.).


梗

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


把

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


棓

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *bɯ, *broːŋʔ, *bɯː): semantic 木 (“tree, wood”) + phonetic 咅 (OC *pʰɯʔ, *pʰl'oːs).


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.

Han compound

柳宗元


棟

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *toːŋs): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 東 (OC *toːŋ).


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.


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.


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).


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.


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

柯文哲


枚

Generally thought to be an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 木 (“tree; wood”) + 攴 (“hand holding a stick”).
However, Zhengzhang (2003) considers it to be a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mɯːl): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 文 (OC *mɯn), where 文 was later corrupted to 攴.
From Austroasiatic; compare Old Khmer mek (“branch; bough”) (Schuessler, 2007). Note also similarities to Burmese မဲ (mai:, “vote, ballot, lot”).


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.


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


樛

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/


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).

Han compound

Chai Rong (Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou)

柴榮

柴荣


榨

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsraːɡs) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 窄 (OC *ʔsraːɡ).


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”).


梓

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (梓):
* → Japanese: 梓(し) (shi)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsɯʔ): semantic 木 (“wood; tree”) + abbreviated phonetic 宰 (OC *ʔsɯːʔ)


椒

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/


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

Louis Cha (Chinese novelist, better known by his pen name Jin Yong)

查良鏞

查良镛


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).


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


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.


桐

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


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


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.


棣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'ɯːds): semantic 木 (“wood; tree”) + phonetic 隶 (OC *lɯds)


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).


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


朴

Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3ʳᵈ century CE

jiǔyuè, bā qī xìng yí wáng Púhú, cóng yìhóu Dùhuò jǔ bā yí, cóng mín láifù, yúshì fēn bā jùn, yǐ Hú wèi bā dōng tàishǒu, Huò wèi bā xī tàishǒu,

九月，巴七姓夷王朴胡、賨邑侯杜濩舉巴夷、賨民來附，於是分巴郡，以胡爲巴東太守，濩為巴西太守，

九月，巴七姓夷王朴胡、𰷥邑侯杜濩举巴夷、𰷥民来附，于是分巴郡，以胡为巴东太守，濩为巴西太守，

夷狄大姓。有朴氏與樸同

夷狄大姓。有朴氏与朴同

a historical surname used by the Yi (夷 (yí)) people.


朴

(In Silla) There were many Kims and Parks in the country, but they did not marry with other last names.

Guórén duō Jīn, Piáo liǎng xìng, yìxìng bù wéi hūn.

國人多金、朴兩姓，異姓不為婚。

国人多金、朴两姓，异姓不为婚。

The (Silla) king's last name was Kim, the noble man's last name was Park, the people had no last name, but only a name.

Wáng xìng Jīn, guìrén xìng Piáo, mín wú shì yǒu míng.

王姓金，貴人姓朴，民無氏有名。

王姓金，贵人姓朴，民无氏有名。


櫱

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋaːd, *ŋred): phonetic 辥 (OC *sŋed) + semantic 木 (“wood; tree”).

Han compound

蘖
蘖
𣎴
枿
㮆
𣖂
𢮡
𣔏
𣕀
𣠌
𣡌


植

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

盤栽

chiefly to transplant, Zhangzhou Hokkien, chiefly to transplant


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”).

inh

楊堅

杨坚

a surname, listed sixteenth in the Baijiaxing


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


校

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kreːws, *ɡreːws): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 交 (OC *kreːw).


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”).


棗

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

/t͡saʊ̯ɻʷ²¹⁴/

/t͡saʊ̯ɻʷ²¹⁴/

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


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

Rong Yiren (Vice President of the People's Republic of China, 1993-1998)

榮毅仁

荣毅仁


放

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


欒

Characters in the same phonetic series (䜌) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *b·roːn): phonetic 䜌 (OC *b·roːn, *b·ron, *b·rons) + semantic 木 (“tree”).


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).


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”).


桑

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


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.


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).


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).


桂

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


檀

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *daːn): semantic 木 + phonetic 亶 (OC *taːnʔ).


毆

→ English: Ou, Au, Aw

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qoːʔ): phonetic 區 (OC *qoː, *kʰo) + semantic 殳 (“action”).


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

Liang Shanbo (in the legend of Butterfly Lovers)

梁山伯

Liang Qichao (Chinese intellectual and politician who lived during the late Qing dynasty and the early Republic of China)

梁啟超

梁启超


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).


汻

For pronunciation and definitions of 汻 – see 滸 (“water’s edge, waterside”).
(This character is an ancient form of 滸).


殳

Pictogram (象形) or Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 𠘧 + 又 – a hand holding a tool similar to a hammer, hence activity (with a reference to the act of "beating"). See also 段 and the original version on oracle bones of 鼓.
The whole character was then borrowed phonetically to indicate an ancient halberd made of bamboo.


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).


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


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).


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).

cog

明玉珍

a surname, listed as #111 on the Baijiaxing


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).


沛

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *poːbs, *pʰoːbs): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 巿 (OC *pub).


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.


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).


毀

* Sears interprets it as Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 臼 (“cracked skull”) + 工 (“tool”) + 殳 (“hand action”), a man being hit in the head.
* Liu Zhao interprets it as Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hmralʔ, *hmrals): phonetic 𬛸 () + semantic 殳 (“hand holding staff; strike”)
* Shuowen Jiezi interprets it as Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hmralʔ, *hmrals): abbreviated phonetic 毇 (OC *hmralʔ) + semantic 土


毓

Pictogram (象形): 每 + 㐬 – a woman with a bamboo hairpin (to indicate that she is an adult) 每 while giving birth. The newborn baby is head down on the right 㐬. The top part of 㐬 is 子 inverted, an abstracted body with a head at the bottom; compare 充. The three lines (川) below head are amniotic fluid coming out.
A later alternative form is 育, in which the amniotic fluid disappears.
Alternately considered a Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *luɡ) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 每 (“woman”) + phonetic 𠫓 (, “child”) + semantic 川 (“amniotic fluid”).


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).


洂

For pronunciation and definitions of 洂 – see 液 (“liquid; fluid; sap; juice; etc.”).
(This character is an ancient form of 液).


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


模

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


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


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”).


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).


汲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *krɯb): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 及 (OC *ɡrɯb).


沃

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qoːwɢ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 夭 (OC *qoːwʔ, *qrow, *qrowʔ) – to irrigate with water.


汶

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mrɯn, *mɯn, *mɯns): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 文 (OC *mɯn).


浠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hlɯl): semantic 氵 (“river”) + phonetic 希 (OC *hlɯl).


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).


槍

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (槍):
* → Korean: 창(槍) (chang)
* → Vietnamese: thương (槍)

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰi̯oŋ²⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯æn³³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰi̯oŋ²⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯æn³³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰaŋ, *sʰraːŋ): semantic 木 + phonetic 倉 (OC *sʰaːŋ).


涍

Han char

涍 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 水十大木 (EJKD), four-corner 3414₇, composition ⿰氵孝)


泌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mpriɡs, *priɡ, *bliɡ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 必 (OC *pliɡ).


汩

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷɯːd, *ɡʷɯd): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 曰 (OC *ɢʷad).


汞

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡoːŋʔ): phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ) + semantic 水 (“water”)


沖

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *duŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 中 (OC *tuŋ, *tuŋs).


段

→ Thai: ตอน (dtɔɔn)

In the bronze script it is a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *doːns) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): phonetic 厂 (OC *hŋaːnʔ, *hŋaːns) + semantic 殳, showing a hammer in hand breaking a stone with fragments coming off (Li Xueqin, 2012); 殳 was the pictogram of a hammer and later was borrowed to indicate a bamboo halberd. Most of the character is identical to 叚.

Han compound

Duan Qirui (Chinese warlord and politician)

段祺瑞


沈

沈括


涂

涂謹申

涂谨申


樹

/t͡sʰiɛu²¹³/

/t͡sʰiɛu²¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djoʔ, *djos) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 尌 (OC *djos, “a hand planting a tree”).
Originally written 尌, see there for more.
Area word (Schuessler, 2007): Mizo tuh (“to plant, to sow”), Khmer ដុះ (doh, “to grow, to bud”). Starostin compares it with Tibetan གདོས (gdos), གདོས་པ (gdos pa, “mast”) and Burmese ထူ (htu, “to erect (a post), to raise (a flag)”).
Related to 豎 (OC *djoʔ, “to erect; to make vertical”).

och-l

树
𣗬
尌
𡬾
𣕒
𣗳
侸
𠊪
𣚤
𢒳


我

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (我):
* → Japanese: 我(が) (ga)
* → Korean: 아(我) (a)
* → Vietnamese: ngã (我)

Wutunhua: nga, ngu

→ Betawi: gua (via Min Nan)

→ Indonesian: gua, gue

→ Malay: gua (via Min Nan)

→ Thai: อั๊ว (úua)

A pictogram (象形) of a trident-like weapon or tool (note the oracle bone script form 𢦐). Jao & Zeng (1985, pp. 289–290) conjecture about its similarity to a kind of three-bladed polearm found at archaeological sites. Cf. 戈 (gē, “polearm”), which is the same weapon but with a single blade instead of three. It was already borrowed for sound to mean "I" (in the sense of "first-person subject") since the oracle bone script.
Guo Moruo considers it to be the original character for 錡 (OC *ɡral, “a kind of war axe with three blades or teeth”).
Folk etymology considers it to be an ideograph of a hand (手 (shǒu)) holding a weapon (戈 (gē)) to protect oneself.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋa-j ~ ka. Cognate with 吾 (OC *ŋaː), Burmese ငါ (nga, “I”), Hakka 𠊎 (ngài). The expected Mandarin pronunciation is ě (now only found in a few Northern dialects); wǒ is "a col[loquial] archaism" (Schuessler, 2007).

och-l

吾
𠨂
𢦐
𢦓
𢦖
𢦠
𨈟
𩇶

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


永

Pictogram (象形) of a long river with tributaries. Cognate with 𠂢, 派.
Alternatively, pictogram (象形) of a person swimming in the water. Original form of 泳 (OC *ɢʷraŋs).
Uncertain.
* STEDT compares 永 (OC *ɢʷraŋʔ) to provisional Proto-Lolo-Burmese meso-root *ʔ-m(y)aŋ¹/³;
* Bodman (1980) derived 永 (OC *ɢʷraŋʔ) from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *wrjaŋ & considered it cognate with Lepcha ᰝᰥᰤᰰ (hryăn) as well as Tibetan རྒྱོང་བ (rgyong ba, “to extend; to stretch”) and རྒྱང་མ (rgyang ma, “distance”);
* Schuessler (2007) considered to be unclear any connection with 泂 (OC *ɡʷeːŋʔ) and Tibetan རིང (ring, “to be tall, long”), Western Tamang rehng pā (“to be long”), Burmese ရှည် (hrany, “to be long”), (all from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-r(i/u)ŋ (“to be long, to elongate”)) & Proto-Loloish *s/m-riŋ (“long (adv.)”); so Schuessler compared 永 (OC *ɢʷraŋʔ) to Khmer វែង (vɛɛng, “long”) and Khmer បង្វែង (bɑngvaeng, “to prolong, divert, mislead, deceive”) (both from Proto-Mon-Khmer *waiŋ (“long”)).

och-l

泂 (OC *ɡʷeːŋʔ)


淅

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *seːɡ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 析 (OC *seːɡ).


浣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɦŋoːnʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 完 (OC *ɦŋoːn).


殿

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (殿):
* → Vietnamese: điện (殿)

Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tɯːns, *dɯːns): phonetic 𡱂 (OC *duːn) + semantic 殳 (“hand holding a weapon”) – the sound of hitting (not attested in ancient documents).
Chi (2010) considers the character to be developed from 𠂤 (“buttocks”); 尸 (“body”) and 丌 (“pedestal”) are added to form 𡱂 (“buttocks”), and 殳 is added to emphasize the meaning of “hitting the buttocks”.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-t(u/i)l (“buttocks; heel; dull; blunt; rounded part”). Compare Jingpho shatin (“buttocks”). Related to 臀 (OC *duːn, “buttocks”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Whether “lofty building” is related is unclear; Chi (2010) suggests that it is a semantic extension of “buttocks”, which are elevated from the ground.


洛

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


泰

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰaːds): phonetic 大 (OC *daːds, *daːds, “big; great”) + semantic 廾 (“two hands”) + semantic 水 (“water”). A more conservative variant is 𡙌. The 大 and 廾 later fused into 𡗗. Its original meaning according to Shuowen Jiezi was "to slip", perhaps with a reference to seize something wet or to seize a liquid with bare hands. Then it became "too ", which was written either as 太 or 𡙌 > 泰 or as its variant 冭, perhaps due to the influence of its pronunciation and/or the top component of the character, which has a reference to a great quantity (hence it adds part of the meaning).
Same word as 太 (OC *tʰaːds, “great; greatest; excessive”); both are derived from 大 (OC *daːds, *daːds, “big”).


時

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (時):
* → Japanese: 時(じ) (ji)
* → Korean: 시(時) (si)
* → Vietnamese: thời (時), thì (時)

→ Vietnamese: giờ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djɯ): semantic 日 (“sun; day”) + phonetic 寺 (OC *ljɯs). The phonetic component however represents a footprint pointing up, which could be linked to the concept of the movement of the sun and hence the passing of time.
In ancient scripts, it had the form 旹, with 之 (OC *tjɯ) as the phonetic instead (as well as a reference to the passing of time). The component 寸 was added later.
; "time", "duration"
; "this"


殷

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): a pregnant woman (身, now written reversed as 㐆) next to a hand grabbing a hammer or mallet (now written 殳). However, in this character, the hand could be grabbing a needle for acupuncture.
The character is partly unclear, however the original meaning was either referred to pain and medical treatment and/or to "abundance, prosperity" in reference to the swollen abdomen.


泳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷraŋs): semantic 氵 + phonetic 永 (OC *ɢʷraŋʔ).
Possibly related to Thai ว่าย (wâai, “to swim”) (Schuessler, 2007).


洒

/t͡sʰu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡sʰu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/


淮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷriːl): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 隹 (OC *tjul)
Yang (1999) suggests a derivation from the bird (隹) totem worship of the Huaiyi that inhabited the Huai river basin.


淦

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kɯːm, *kɯːms): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 金 (OC *krɯm).


權

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (權):
* → Japanese: 権(けん) (ken)
* → Korean: 권(權) (gwon)
* → Vietnamese: quyền (權)

→ Zhuang: gienz

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡron): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 雚 (OC *koːns) – a type of tree named 黃華 (Shuowen); phonetically borrowed for "standard weight".
From 拳 (OC *ɡron, “fist”) (Schuessler, 2007).


洪

→ English: Hong; Hung; Ang

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡloːŋ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 共 (OC *kloŋ, *ɡloŋs).

Han compound

Hong Xiuquan (leader of the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing dynasty)

洪秀全


橫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷraːŋ, *ɡʷraːŋs, *kʷaːŋ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 黃 (OC *ɡʷaːŋ).
; “crosswise > door rail; side; cross-grained; unrestrained”
* Related to 衡 (OC *ɡraːŋ, “crossbar”), 桁 (OC *ɡaːŋ, *ɡraːŋ, “purlin”), 珩 (OC *ɡraːŋ, “top horizontal gem of a girdle-pendant”) and 璜 (OC *ɡʷaːŋ, “jade pendant”) (Wang, 1982), and possibly 樑 (OC *raŋ, “roof beam”) (Schuessler, 2007).
* Schuessler (2007) connects these with Khmer ខ្វែង (khvaeng, “to cross; to intersect; to crisscross; diagonal; etc.”) < Old Khmer khveṅ (“to go far around; to encircle; to enclose”). Compare Thai ขวาง (kwǎang, “to lie across; to bar; to obstruct; to thwart”) and the Khmer derivatives កំពែង (kɑmpɛɛng, “enclosing wall; rampart”), កំពង់ (kɑmpŭəng, “crossing-place; ford; port; shore”) (cf. Malay kampung).


求

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵/

Pictogram (象形) of a centipede. Original form of 蛷 (OC *ɡu).
Likely cognate with 救 (OC *kus, “to save, help”), Burmese ကူ (ku, “to help”) (STEDT).


湳

Han char

湳 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+9, 12 strokes, cangjie input 水十月十 (EJBJ), four-corner 3412₇, composition ⿰氵南)


洲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tju): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 州 (OC *tju).
Unknown.
According to the Erya and the Shiming, the following characters show some notable semantic relations (Schuessler, 2007)
: 渚 (OC *tjaʔ, “islet”) is smaller than 洲 (OC *tju)
: 沚 (OC *kjɯʔ, “islet”) is smaller than 渚 (OC *tjaʔ)
: 坻 (OC *tiːlʔ, *tjelʔ, *dil, “islet”) is smaller than 沚 (OC *kjɯʔ)


渫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zreːb, *sled): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 枼 (OC *leb).


淳

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *djun): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 𦎧 ().


液

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *laːɡ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 夜 (OC *laːɡs) – a liquid, like water.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-rjak (“oil; fat; grease”).


格

Characters in the same phonetic series (各) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klaːɡ, *kraːɡ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 各 (OC *klaːɡ).
; “to go; to come; to arrive”
: Baxter (1992) proposes that this is related to 路 (OC *ɡ·raːɡs, “road”). Compare 客 (OC *kʰraːɡ, “guest, visitor”), 旅 (OC *ɡ·raʔ, “travel, lodge”), and 行 (OC *ɡaːŋ, *ɡaːŋs, *ɡraːŋ, *ɡraːŋs, “to go”)
; “to obstruct; to hinder”
; “frame; square”
; “style; form; pattern; standard; personality; character”


浦

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰaːʔ): semantic 氵 (“water; river”) + phonetic 甫 (OC *paʔ).
Austroasiatic; compare *pʰaʔ > Vietnamese phá (“inlet, cove, lagoon”) (Schuessler, 2007). Indirectly related to Proto-Kam-Sui *pwaŋ⁵ (“bank, shore”) and Saek [script needed] (viaŋꟲ¹, “bank of a river”) by way of *-ʔ ~ *-ŋ alternation (ibid.).


滕

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'ɯːŋ): phonetic 朕 (OC *l'ɯmʔ) + semantic 水 (“water”).


梅

→ Malay: boi

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (梅):
* → Japanese: 梅(ばい) (bai)
* → Korean: 매(梅) (mae)
* → Vietnamese: mai (梅)

→? Old Japanese: 梅 (ume₂)

Japanese: 梅(うめ) (ume), 梅(むめ) (mume)

→ Vietnamese: mơ

/muːi̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/ᵐbᵘɔi²²⁻²²⁵/

/muːi̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/ᵐbᵘɔi²²⁻²²⁵/

Chinese civilization
Yangtze River
Zhongyuan

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mɯː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 每 (OC *mɯːʔ).
Seemingly related to Old Japanese 梅 (ume₂) (Shibatani, 1990; Miyake, 1997; apud Schuessler, 2007) (which was possibly borrowed from Middle Chinese). Its origin is unknown (Schuessler, 2007); its referent, Prunus mume, originated around the Yangtze River, now in south China yet initially outside the Chinese civilization's cradle in the Central Plain.

Han compound

坆
𣏁
𣐥
楳
𣒫
栂
槑
𤯏

梅光達

梅光达

梅艷芳

梅艳芳


游

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lu): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 斿 (OC *lu).
From Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with Tibetan རྒྱུ་བ (rgyu ba, “to walk; to wander”), Lepcha ᰚᰪᰌᰦ (yŭ-da, “to flow”), Rawang yø (“to flow”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Same word as 遊 (OC *lu, “to roam; to travel”). Cognate with 流 (OC *ru, “to flow”), 泅 (OC *lju). Probably unrelated to 油 (OC *lɯw, “abundant”), 滺 (“flowing”).


渣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsraː): semantic 氵 + phonetic 查 (OC *ʔsraː, *zraː, *zraː).


滹

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰaː): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 虖 (OC *qʰaː, *qʰʷa, *qʰaː, *qʰʷa).


汗

→ Zhuang: hanh

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːn, *ɡaːn, *ɡaːns): semantic 水 + phonetic 干 (OC *kaːn).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-(k/ŋ)rul (“sweat”). Compare Tibetan རྔུལ (rngul, “sweat”).


渝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lo): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 俞 (OC *l̥ʰus, *lo).


渡

Proto-Tai: *daːᴮ (“river”)

Lao: ທ່າ (thā)

Lü: ᦑᦱᧈ (taa¹)

desc

Shan: တႃႈ (tāa, “pier; shallow place in water”)

Thai: ท่า (tâa, “pier; port”)

Zhuang: dah (“river”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *daːɡs): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 度 (OC *daːɡs, *daːɡ).
Inherited from Proto-Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with Tibetan འདས ('das, “to pass over”).
Proto-Tai *daːᴮ (“river”) (whence Thai ท่า (tâa, “port; pier; quay”) and Zhuang dah (“river”)) is a loan from late Old Chinese (Schuessler, 2007).
The Austroasiatic synonym of 渡 is 濟 (OC *ʔsliːlʔ, *ʔsliːls, “to cross a river”).


步

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 止 (“foot”) + 止 (“foot”) reversed – one foot in front of the other. Compare: 夅, 舛, other characters deriving from "two feet". See also the inner component of 歲. Unrelated to 少.

Han compound

歨
𣥕
歩
𡵯
𰰦
𣥗
𣥶
𩣝


淵

Originally 𣶒 in oracle bone script; Pictogram (象形) of a basin with water. Bronze inscriptions added vertical strokes resembling riverbanks around the character, and the semantic component 氵.

渊
囦
𣶒
𡇋
𫂱
渕
渆
渁
灁
㴊
㶜
𣴺
𡆼
𣴸
𠝃
𣾬


武

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (武):
* → Japanese: 武(ぶ) (bu)
* → Korean: 무(武) (mu)
* → Vietnamese: võ (武), vũ (武)

Characters in the same phonetic series (武) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 戈 (“blade”) + 止 (“foot; to walk; to stop”) – army going on an expedition. In the character 武, the 戈 component is written above the 止 component.
The graphical origin of 武 as “to stop violence” — the ultimate state of just warfare — is traditionally attributed to King Zhuang of Chu [597 BCE]:
Linguistically, this was likely a misinterpretation, as 止 always means “to walk” (趾) when used as a radical, compare 步 (bù), 歷／历 (lì) and 歧 (qí).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d-mak (“war, army, soldier”). Cognate with Tibetan དམག (dmag, “army”), Burmese မက် (mak) (as in ရဲမက် (rai:mak, “soldier”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007; Sagart, 2017d).

inh

Said Lord "Chǔ" (楚): “Not exactly as what you might have believed. The term itself means: stopping ("止") the blades ("戈") thus martiality ("武").”

Chǔ Zǐ yuē: “Fēi ěr suǒ zhī yě. Fú wén, zhǐ gē wéi wǔ.”

楚子曰：「非爾所知也。夫文，止戈為武。」

楚子曰：「非尔所知也。夫文，止戈为武。」

Wu Zetian (the only legitimate female sovereign in the history of China)

武則天

武则天


池

Characters in the same phonetic series (也) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'aːl, *l'al): semantic 氵 + phonetic 也 (OC *laːlʔ).
Perhaps a Sino-Tibetan word; compare Proto-Kuki-Chin *lii (“pool; lake; pond”), whence Mizo li (“quiet, deep pool”) (STEDT).

廟小妖風大，池淺王八多／庙小妖风大，池浅王八多

miào xiǎo yāofēng dà, chí qiǎn wángbā duō


滬

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡʷaːʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 扈 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ).
Probably a derivation from 互 (OC *ɡaːs, “intertwining”) (Schuessler, 2007). 扈 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ, “to stop; to prevent”) may be the same word (ibid.).


山

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (山):
* → Japanese: 山(さん) (san)
* → Korean: 산(山) (san)
* → Vietnamese: sơn (山)

Characters in the same phonetic series (山) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – three mountain peaks. In the Oracle Bone Script, they were represented by triangles rather than vertical strokes. Compare 丘 (qiū), particularly earlier forms.
Unrelated to 出 and the top component of 岁 and 豐. Also unrelated to 屮.
Unclear – cognates not known outside Sino-Bai. Cognate with Central Bai svrt (“mountain”) < Proto-Bai *sro⁴.
Baxter and Sagart (2014) propose that it is derived from a root *ŋ(ˤ)rar (“slope, nearly vertical side”) that also derives 巘 (OC *ŋ(r)ar(ʔ), “hill”), 涯 (OC *ŋˤrar, “river bank”), 顏 (OC *C.ŋˤrar, “forehead”).
Starostin compares it with Kayan sʰôn (“mountain”).


湛

Characters in the same phonetic series (甚) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔl'uːm, *r'uːmʔ, *l'um): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 甚 (OC *ɡljumʔ, *ɡljums).

Han compound

湛若水


漳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kjaŋ): semantic 水 + phonetic 章 (OC *kjaŋ).


洗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɯːlʔ, *sɯːnʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 先 (OC *sɯːn, *sɯːns).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/b-s(j)il ~ *m/b-sjal (“to wash; to bathe”) (STEDT). Cognate with 洒 (OC *sraːls, *sɯːlʔ, “to wash”), Tibetan བསིལ (bsil, “to wash”), Mizo sil (“to wash”); more distant cognates may include Burmese ဆေး (hce:, “to wash”).


治

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'ɯ, *l'ɯs, *l'is): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 台 (OC *l̥ʰɯː, *l'ɯː, *l'ɯː, *lɯ) — name of a river.
Sagart (1999) relates it to 釐 (OC *rɯ, “to govern; to regulate”).


添

→ Vietnamese: thêm

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰiːm): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 忝 (OC *l̥ʰiːmʔ, *l̥ʰiːms) – to increase by pouring more water in.
Compare Proto-Tai *k.temᴬ (“full”), whence Thai เต็ม (dtem, “full”) (Manomaivibool, 1975).


潚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sɯːw, *sɯwɢ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 肅 (OC *sɯwɢ).


澧

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *riːʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 豊 (OC *riːʔ).


淘

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'uː): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 匋 (OC *bl'uː).


滇

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tiːn, *tʰiːns, *diːn): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 真 (OC *ʔljin).


溪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰeː): semantic 氵 + phonetic 奚 (OC *ɡeː).
Compare Proto-Hmong-Mien *gle, whence Chuanqiandian Cluster Miao tl̥e (“river”) (Schuessler, 2007). Also compare Tibetan རྐ (rka, “gutter; channel”) (Sagart, 2020b).


溫

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (溫):
* → Japanese: 温(おん) (on)
* → Korean: 온(溫) (on)
* → Vietnamese: ôn (溫)

→ Proto-Tai: *ʔunᴮ

Thai: อุ่น (ùn)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *quːn): semantic 水 + phonetic 𥁕 (OC *quːn).

Han compound

溫家寶

温家宝


演

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lenʔ): semantic 氵 + phonetic 寅 (OC *lil, *lin).


書

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (書):
* → Japanese: 書(しょ) (sho)
* → Korean: 서(書) (seo)
* → Vietnamese: thư (書)

→ Proto-Tai: *sɯːᴬ

Thai: สือ (sʉ̌ʉ)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hlja): semantic 聿 (“writing brush”) + phonetic 者 (OC *tjaːʔ).
Unknown (Schuessler, 2007).


濮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *poːɡ): semantic 水 + phonetic 僕 (OC *boːɡ, *buːɡ).


濄

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kloːl, *qloːl): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 過 (OC *kloːl, *kloːls).


漁

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋa): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 魚 (OC *ŋa, “fish”).
From 魚 (OC *ŋa, “fish”).

渔
𣿡
𤀯
𩼪
𩵎
䰻
䱷
䲣


澄

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *dɯːŋs, *dɯŋ, *rdɯŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 登 (OC *tɯːŋ) – clear water.


有

desc

→ English: got (Singapore English) (semantic loan)

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (有):
* → Japanese: 有(う) (u); 有(ゆう) (yū)
* → Vietnamese: hữu (有)

Characters in the same phonetic series (又) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷɯʔ): phonetic 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “hand”) + semantic ⺼ (“meat”) – a hand holding meat, hence “in possession of”. The hand shape has been significantly abstracted; compare 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, *ɢʷɯs).
Alternatively, the graph was perhaps originally intended for the word 醢 (OC *qʰɯːʔ, “minced pickled meat”), which also has the 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs) element as phonetic.
Shuowen Jiezi and other ancient sources have erroneously analyzed the character as a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷɯʔ): phonetic 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs) + semantic 月 (“moon”). Shuowen Jiezi defines 有 as "不宜有也" ("[to have something that] not should be had"), citing the Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋傳): "日月有食之" ("There are solar and lunar eclipses"). As eclipses were not auspicious to the Chinese, they were "something that should not be happening". The 月 component alludes to the inauspicious lunar eclipse.
Possibly Sino-Tibetan. Compare Tibetan ཡོད (yod, “to be; to have”). Related to:
* 侑 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “to offer, to sacrifice”) [causative, i.e. “to cause to have”]
* 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “again”) [adverbial]
* 或 (OC *ɡʷɯːɡ, “some; or”) [indefinite]

och-l

右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, *ɢʷɯs)

害人之心不可有，防人之心不可無／害人之心不可有，防人之心不可无

hàirén zhī xīn bùkě yǒu, fángrén zhī xīn bùkě wú

明知山有虎，偏向虎山行

míngzhī shān yǒu hǔ, piān xiàng hǔ shān xíng

有子


渾

Characters in the same phonetic series (軍) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡuːn, *ɡuːnʔ): semantic 氵 (“river”) + phonetic 軍 (OC *kun).


溺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *njewɢ, *neːwɢ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 弱 (OC *njewɢ).
Schuessler (2007) proposes the following possibilities:
* Related to Burmese နစ် (nac, “to sink; to drown”), Burmese နှစ် (hnac, “to immerse”), but the vowels do not agree.
* Related to Burmese နှိုက်း (hnuik:, “to penetrate; to put one's hand into”).


瀛

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *leŋ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 嬴 (OC *leŋ).


灟

Han char

灟 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+21, 24 strokes, cangjie input 水尸水戈 (ESEI), four-corner 3712₇, composition ⿰氵屬)


漆

→ Iban: chat

→ Zhuang: caet

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰiɡ) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 桼 (OC *sʰiɡ, “resin used to make varnish”). From earlier 桼 (OC *sʰiɡ, “varnish; lacquer”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-tsəj (“medicine; juice; paint”). Cognate with Jingpho tsì (“medicine”), Tibetan རྩི (rtsi, “juice; fluid; paint”), Burmese ဆေး (hce:, “medicine; potion; poison; paint”).


江

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (江):
* → Japanese: 江(こう) (kō)
* → Korean: 강(江) (gang)
* → Vietnamese: giang (江)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kroːŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).
; "Yangtze River"
Borrowed from a substrate Austroasiatic language as Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kl(j)u(ŋ/k) (“river, valley”); compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ruŋ ~ ruuŋ ~ ruəŋ (“river”) > Proto-Vietic *k-roːŋ (“river”) (Vietnamese sông), Mon ကြုၚ် (krɜŋ, “small river, creek”).
Derivative: 港 (OC *kroːŋʔ, *ɡloːŋs, “harbour”).

cog

江澤民

江泽民

a surname: Jiang (mainland China), Chiang (Taiwan), Kong (Hong Kong), Kiang (Old fashion)


潛

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *zlom, *zloms): semantic 水 + phonetic 朁 (OC *sʰlɯːmʔ, *zlam).


澤

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *rlaːɡ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 睪 (OC *neb, *laːɡ, *kuː).


方

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (方):
* → Japanese: 方(ほう) (hō)
* → Korean: 방(方) (bang)
* → Vietnamese: phương (方)

→ English: Fang, Fong, Png

→ Vietnamese: vuông

Characters in the same phonetic series (方) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 一 + 刀 (“sword”) – blade; tip of a blade. Original form of 芒 (OC *maːŋ, *maŋ, “awn (of cereal); tip (of blade)”); later borrowed to mean “side”. Other theories regarding the origin of this character also exist.
It is unrelated to 㫃 (“fluttering flag”), from which characters like 旗 (OC *ɡɯ, “flag”) and 旅 (OC *ɡ·raʔ, “troops”) are derived.
; "side; square; region"
; "parallel boats"
; "just now"; "now"
; "method; law"

och-l

Fang Xiaoru (Confucian scholar-bureaucrat of the Ming Dynasty)

方孝孺


漲

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *taŋ, *taŋʔ, *taŋs): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 張 (OC *taŋ, *taŋs).


浪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *raːŋ, *raːŋs): semantic 水 + phonetic 良 (OC *raŋ).
May be a colloquial variant of 瀾／澜 (lán, “wave”). Probably not related to Tibetan དབའ་ཀློང (dba' klong, “wave”) (Schuessler, 2007).


潘

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (潘):
* → Korean: 반(潘) (ban)
* → Vietnamese: Phan (潘)

→ English: Pan, Poon, Pun, Phua

→ Mandarin: ㄆㄨㄣ (pūn) (Taiwanese slang from Hokkien)

→ Tagalog: Pua (via Hokkien)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *pʰaːn): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 番 (OC *paːl, *paːls, *pʰaːn, *pʰan, *ban).

Han compound

Florence Y. Pan (Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit)

潘愉

Pan Jinlian (fictional female character in Water Margin and Jin Ping Mei)

潘金蓮

潘金莲


沙

→ Proto-Tai: *zwɯəjᴬ

Proto-Southwestern Tai: *zaːjᴬ

Thai: ทราย (saai)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 水 (“water”) + 少 (“to lack; to be short of”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(s/z)a-j (“earth, sand”). Compare Tibetan ས (sa, “sand”) and Burmese သဲ (sai:, “sand”).

inh

Obsolete. 皮 is used for SI prefix pico-.


港

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kroːŋʔ, *ɡloːŋs): semantic 水 (“river; water”) + phonetic 巷 (OC *ɡroːŋs).
Cognate with 江 (OC *kroːŋ, “river”) (Schuessler, 2007). The southern dialectal word originally meant "small river/stream", which is still preserved in some Min languages. The irregular pronunciation in Mandarin (expected Mandarin reflex is *jiǎng) originated from southern dialects where velars have not palatalized (Schuessler, 2007).


油

→ Vietnamese: dầu (𪽠)

Characters in the same phonetic series (由) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *lɯw, *lɯwɢs): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 由 (OC *lɯw).
;“weeb”


焣

/t͡sʰaːu̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰaːu̯³⁵/


漸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsam, *zamʔ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 斬 (OC *ʔsreːmʔ).
Compare Khmer ជាំ (cŏəm, “wet; soaked; steeped”) (Schuessler, 2007).


滾

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kluːnʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 袞 (OC *kluːnʔ)


源

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (源):
* → Japanese: 源(げん) (gen)
* → Korean: 원(源) (won)
* → Vietnamese: nguyên (源)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋʷan) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 原 (OC *ŋʷan, “origin”).

och-l

元 (OC *ŋon, “head; principal; first; great”)


樂

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (樂):
* → Japanese: 楽(がく) (gaku)
* → Korean: 악(樂) (ak)
* → Vietnamese: nhạc (樂)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 糸 (“string”) + 木 (“wood”) – strings on a piece of wood, i.e. a wooden musical instrument.
The oracle bone form shows two strings connected to the wood. In the bronze inscriptions, a 白 (OC *braːɡ) component was added in between the two strings, which may either represent the thumb (fiddling) or a phonetic part.
; “music; joyful”
: Also comparable is Middle Khmer leṅa (“to play”) and bhleṅa (“(playing) music”), whence Thai เล่น (lên, “to play”) and เพลง (pleeng, “music”).

Han compound

Yue Yi (a prominent military leader of the State of Yan during the Warring States period)

樂毅

乐毅


樂

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (樂):
* → Japanese: 楽(らく) (raku)
* → Korean: 락/낙(樂) (rak/nak)
* → Vietnamese: lạc (樂)


泥

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *niːl, *niːls): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 尼 (OC *nil).
Schuessler (2007) suggests it is of Sino-Tibetan origin and compares it to Lai [script needed] (nôoy-I, nǒoy-II, “be muddy”), which STEDT derives from Proto-Kuki-Chin *nooy ~ *naay (“muddy; dirty”). According to Schuessler (2007), 泥 (OC *niːl, “mud”) is also cognate with 濘 (OC *neːŋs) but not with 涅 (OC *niːɡ), and is distinct from 泥 (OC *niːls, “impeded”).
On the other hand, STEDT compares 泥 (OC *niːl, *niːls) to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-njak (“filth(y); excrement”), to which 敜 (OC *nɯːb) and 涅 (OC *niːɡ) are also compared.

cog

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)


河

Wutunhua: xhe

Characters in the same phonetic series (可) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡaːl): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 可 (OC *kʰaːlʔ).
Originally particularly used for the Yellow River, with other rivers known as 水 (OC *qʰʷljilʔ). Later extended generally as a word for rivers in northern China but the influence of 江 (OC *kroːŋ, “Yangtze River; river in southern China”) has meant that modern usage tends to favor it for shorter rivers and creeks except in historical cases.
External etymology uncertain. Various hypotheses have been proposed:
* Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with Tibetan རྒལ (rgal, “to cross, to traverse”) (Coblin, 1986).
* A Mongolic loan. Compare Proto-Mongolic *gowl (“river”) > Mongolian ᠭᠣᠣᠯ (ɣool, “river”) (Norman and Mei, 1976). This was argued against in Zhang (1998).
* Derived from 湖 (OC *ɡaː, “lake”) (Matisoff, 1995).
* Takashima (2012), citing palaeographical and archaeological evidence, posits that the Yellow River's name stemmed from the shape, which resembles an adze handle 柯 (OC *kaːl), of a stretch spanning 500 to 600 kilometers "from Héjīn, Tóngguān to east of Zhèngzhōu".


滑

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡruːd, *kuːd, *ɡuːd): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 骨 (OC *kuːd).


炅

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 火 (“fire”) + 日 (“sun”).

/t͡ɕi̯ʊŋ²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ʊŋ²¹⁴/


會

Characters in the same phonetic series (會) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形). The upper part and the lower part of the character, on the basis of the original versions, can be unified into 合 (two open mouths) with a food container in the middle; this character means both "bring together" (e.g., bring together people to discuss, putting a lid on a vessel) and "close, shut". The top of the character resembles 食, but it's connected to another mouth at the bottom of the character. The food container could be a kuài 膾, an ancient container for raw fish and finely minced/chopped meat.
As an alternative, it's a pointed lid on top of a container, with a mouth at the bottom either to indicate the activity of talking or as a distinguish mark to differentiate it from 食.
Most of the pronunciations are ultimately cognate, derived from a root meaning "to join, to come together ~ to meet, to gather ~ to match, to fit ~ to understand". Perhaps related to 合 (OC *kuːb, *ɡuːb, “to match”) ~ 蓋 (OC *kaːbs, *kaːb, *ɡaːb, “lid”).
However, Min Nan ē instead derives from 解 (OC *kreːʔ, *kreːs, *ɡreːʔ, *ɡreːs, “to understand”) (Yang, 2001).

och-l

会
㑹
㞧
㣛
𠃐
𣌭
𣥈


潭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *l'ɯːm, *lɯmʔ): semantic 氵 + phonetic 覃 (OC *l'ɯːm).
A late Old Chinese southern word attested in Chuci. Probably a foreign loan; compare Proto-Kam-Sui *tʰlam¹ (“well; pond; pool”) (Thurgood, 1988). 塘 (OC *l'aːŋ, “embankment; pond”) is perhaps a variant of this word (Schuessler, 2007).
Alternatively, possibly related to 深 (OC *hljum, *hljums, “deep”). Burmese ထုံး (htum:, “large; pool”) differs in initial and vowel.


灣

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qroːn): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 彎 (OC *qroːn) – a type of water.
Cognate with 彎 (OC *qroːn, “bend; curve”) (Wang, 1982).


煥

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰʷaːns): semantic 火 (“fire”) + phonetic 奐 (OC *qʰʷaːns).


煮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tjaʔ): phonetic 者 (OC *tjaːʔ) + semantic 灬 (“fire”) – to cook over a fire.


熏

In the original version, it is 東 with four dots inside perhaps to indicate grass and herbs inside the tied bag. Later, fire 火 (or 炎) at the bottom was added. The original meaning is "smoked herbs". Two semi-conservative versions are 𡴦 and 𡽽. Today, the original meaning is preserved in 薰. Unrelated to 黑.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kəw-n/t (“smoke”). Compare also 葷 (OC *qʰun, “smelling vegetables”).

*𡴦
𡽽
燻
爋
𤑕
*煇


燮

In the oracle bone script, an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): a hand (又) holding an object (?) among three or more fires (火). Meaning and significance uncertain.
Various hypotheses exist: possibly poking at firewood, holding a tool inside flames, lighting fires with a torch, etc.
Later, an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 又 (“hand”) + 辛 (“tool”) + 炏 (“fire”). In the small seal script, the 辛 component came to be written 言, giving rise to the modern form.

*爕
夑
㸉
𤏻
𤎬
𤍛


新

CJKV/code

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

→ Thai: ซิง (sing)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *siŋ): phonetic 亲 (OC *siŋ, “hazelnut tree”) + semantic 斤 (“axe”) – to cut down a tree with an axe (hence starting something new). In this character, 亲 is the stylized form of 𣓀, a chisel over a tree to indicate the hazelnut tree or the hazelnut branch, that could be used as a whip.
Also ideogrammic compound (會意／会意). Original form of 薪 (OC *siŋ, “firewood”).
Sino-Tibetan; cognate with Burmese သစ် (sac, “new”). Compare the cognacy between 薪 (OC *siŋ, “firewood”) and Burmese သစ် (sac, “wood; timber”).
This word may belong to the Sino-Tibetan stem Proto-Sino-Tibetan *siŋ (“alive, fresh, green”) and may hence be related to 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ, “green”) as well as 薪 (OC *siŋ, “firewood”) (Schuessler, 2007).


澹

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *daːm, *daːmʔ, *daːms): semantic 水 + phonetic 詹 (OC *tjam).
Related to 淡 (OC *l'aːm, *l'aːmʔ, *l'aːms, *lamʔ).

Han compound

贍
霑
淫
㴷
淡
𣸄
濕


洋

CJKV/code

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

→ Zhuang: yangz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ljaŋ, *laŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 羊 (OC *laŋ).
; “multitudinous; vast; ocean”: Schuessler (2007) compares it with Tibetan ཡངས་པ (yangs pa, “wide; extensive; vast; spacious”). In contrast, Starostin sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *lɨ̆ŋ (“wave”), encompassing this and Tibetan ཀློང (klong, “space; expanse; wave”), Burmese လှိုင်း (hluing:, “wave; to abound; plentiful”).
: Compare 羕 (OC *laŋs, “(of rivers) long”), 漾 (OC *laŋs, “waves; (of rivers) long”).
; "vast expanse of flat land"


熙

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qʰlɯ): phonetic 巸 (OC *lɯ) + semantic 灬 (“fire”).


爰

Han char

爰 (Kangxi radical 87, 爪+5, 9 strokes, cangjie input 月一大水 (BMKE), four-corner 2044₇, composition ⿳爫一友)


犁

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *riːl, *ril): phonetic 利 (OC *rids) + semantic 牛 (“cow”)


熬

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-ŋaw (“to fry; to roast”); cognate with Tibetan རྔོ (rngo, “to fry”), Chepang ङाव्सा (ŋaw, “to fry; to parch; to roast”), Tangut 𗲔 (*ŋur¹, “pancake”) (STEDT; Benedict, 1972; Coblin, 1986; Schuessler, 2007; Jacques, 2014).