主旨演讲
zhǔ​zhǐ​yǎn​jiǎng

keynote speech

主 zhǔ master

Original meaning: deity

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

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)

住注驻柱蛀拄炷麈疰駐註

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
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

旨 zhǐ purpose

Original meaning: fine-tasting

Depicts a spoon (匕) going into the mouth (口), conveying the original meaning "fine-tasting". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

匕
匕 Iconic component
bǐ, pìn spoon, (person)
口
口 Iconic component
kǒu, kou mouth

Depicts food inside the mouth.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 8 verified)

指脂稽诣耆酯詣鮨

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

诣詣

Iconic (1)

嘗

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsyijXkijʔ fine-tasting

說文解字

《說文》：“旨，美也。从甘，匕聲。，古文旨。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.396-397
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

演 yǎn perform

Original meaning: flow out

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 寅 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "flow out". The meaning later shifted to "spread", "develop", and "perform".

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

寅
寅 Sound component
yín 3rd earthly branch

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartyenXN-q(r)anʔ flow out, extend

說文解字

《說文》：“演，長流也。一曰水名。从水，寅聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

讲 jiǎng explain Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 井 represents the sound. Simplified form of 講.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

井
井 Sound component
jǐng well

Sources

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

講 jiǎng explain Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 冓 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
冓
冓 Sound component
gòu, gōu a secluded place
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkaewngXkˤroŋʔ explain; discuss

說文解字

《說文》：“講，和解也。从言，冓聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)