biàn​xì​fǎ

conjure

biàn change Simplified

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

luán tie together
Change in sound
Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character . is a component form of .

Sources

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

play Simplified

Original meaning: military troops outside the main group

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "military troops outside the main group". The meaning later shifted to "sport" and "play".

Components

Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

Meaning component
spear
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "military troops outside the main group", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

fǎ, fa law

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Originally written as .

Components

Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

Likely alludes to water always flowing in a given path, or water always being flat and level.

Sound component
go away
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 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 Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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 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-Sagartpjop[p.k]ap model, law

說文解字

《說文》:“灋,刑也。平之如水,从水;廌,所以觸不直者,去之,从去。法,今文省。佱,古文。”

Sources

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

biàn change Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Sound component
luán tie together
Change in sound
Meaning component
tap

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartpjenHpro[n]-s change (v.)

說文解字

《說文》:“變,更也。从攴,聲。”

Sources

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

play Traditional

Original meaning: military troops outside the main group

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "military troops outside the main group". The meaning later shifted to "sport" and "play".

Components

Sound component
earthenware with the shape of a bean
Meaning component
spear
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "military troops outside the main group", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartxjeHŋ̊(r)ar-s sport, joke

說文解字

《說文》:“戲,三軍之偏也。一曰兵也。从戈,聲。”

Sources

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