chuàng​xīn​jīng​shén

creativity

chuàng, chuāng begin, establish Simplified

Original meaning: wound, injury

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of . Based on the original meaning "wound, injury". The meaning "begin, establish" is a phonetic loan.

Components

Sound component
cāng granary
Meaning component
dāo knife

is a component form of .

Sources

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

xīn new

Original meaning: firewood

Phonosemantic component. represents the sound, and (axe) and (tree) represent the original meaning "firewood", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "fresh" and "new".

Components

Sound component
xīn laborious
Iconic component
tree

Depicts a tree being cut for firewood.

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "firewood", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Iconic component
jīn axe

Depicts an axe cutting a tree for firewood.

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "firewood", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
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
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsins.tsʰi[n] new

說文解字

《說文》:“新,取木也。从斤,新聲。”

Sources

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

jīng essence

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
rice
Sound component
qīng green or blue

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 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-Sagarttsjengtseŋ fine rice; pure

說文解字

《說文》:“精,擇也。从米,青聲。”

Sources

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

shén, shen spirit

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
shì show

is a component form of .

Sound component
shēn to extend

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartzyinCə.li[n] spirit

說文解字

《說文》:“神,天神,引出萬物者也。从示、申。”

Sources

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

chuàng, chuāng begin, establish Traditional

Original meaning: wound, injury

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "wound, injury". The meaning "begin, establish" is a phonetic loan.

Components

Sound component
cāng granary
Meaning component
dāo knife

is a component form of .

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsrhjang[tsʰ]raŋ wound (v.)
tsrhjangH[tsʰ]raŋ-s begin

說文解字

《說文》:“刅,傷也。从刃,从一。創,或从刀,倉聲。”

Sources

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