佣婢
yōng​bì

maidservant

佣 yōng, yòng, chōng commission (for middleman) Simplified

An employed 用 person 亻; 用 also provides the pronunciation

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person
用
用 SoundMeaning component
yòng, yong use

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangloŋs

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

婢 bì servant girl

A humble 卑 woman 女; 卑 also provides the pronunciation

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
卑
卑 SoundMeaning component
bēi humble, inferior

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartbjieX[b]eʔfemale slave or servant
Zhengzhangpeʔ
beʔ
Unicodebhiɛ̌

說文解字

女之卑者也。从女从卑，卑亦聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

傭 commission fee Traditional

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

person

庸
庸 Sound component
yōng usual

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartyowngloŋhire
Zhengzhangl̥ʰoŋ
loŋ

說文解字

均直也。从人庸聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)