zhòng​cái HSK7

arbitration

zhòng middle brother

The middle  person  also provides the pronunciation

Components

Meaning component
rén person
SoundMeaning component
zhōng, zhòng central

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdrjuwngHN-truŋ-smiddle (of brothers)
Zhengzhangduŋs
Unicodedjhiùng
djhiùng

說文解字

中也。从人从中,中亦聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

cái cut out

To cut  cloth 

Components

𢦏
𢦏 SoundMeaning component
zāi to cut
Meaning component
clothes

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzoj[dz]ˤə cut out clothes

說文解字

《說文》:“裁,制衣也。从衣,聲。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica