卡拉胶
kǎ​lā​jiāo

carrageenan

卡 kǎ stuck

Origin unclear, but typically explained as being stuck between something above (上) and something below (下). The uses of 卡 to mean "card" or "calorie" are foreign phonetic loans.

Components

上
上 Iconic component
shàng, shang up
下
下 Iconic component
xià, xia under

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

咔胩佧

Sources

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

拉 lā, la pull

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 立 represents the sound.

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

立
立 Sound component
lì stand
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

啦

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlop[r]ˤəp break

說文解字

《說文》：“拉，摧也。从手，立聲。”

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)

胶 jiāo glue Simplified

Tendons that connect 交 muscles ⺼; 交 also provides the pronunciation

Components

⺼
⺼ Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh
交
交 SoundMeaning component
jiāo to cross, to mix

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangɡreːw

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

膠 jiāo glue Traditional

Components

⺼
⺼ Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

flesh

翏
翏 Sound component
liù, lù to sweep away, to remove

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkæw[k]ˤriwglue
kæwX[k]ˤriwʔglue
Zhengzhangkrɯːw
krɯːws
kʰrɯːw
Unicodegau

說文解字

昵也。作之以皮。从肉翏聲。

Sources

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