zhǔ​nǎo

leader

zhǔ master

Original meaning: deity

Pictograph of a memorial tablet used for spiritual rituals, similar to .

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (3 of 11 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsyuXtoʔ master; host

說文解字

《說文》:“主,鐙中火主也。从凵土,象形;从丶,丶亦聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

nǎo brain Simplified

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 𡿺 represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

⺼ is a component form of .

Simplified component
xìn fontanel

Shorthand for the phonetic 𡿺 component in the traditional character .

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

nǎo brain Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 𡿺 represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

⺼ is a component form of .

𡿺
𡿺 SoundMeaning component
nǎo brain

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnawXnˤ[u]ʔ brain

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart