jì​zhài

brothel

jì, jī prostitute

A working  woman  also provides the pronunciation

Components

Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
SoundMeaning component
zhī support, hold up

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangkre
ɡreʔ
Unicodeghyɛ̌

說文解字

婦人小物也。从女支聲。讀若跂行。

Sources

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

zhài stockade

A fortress  with walls made of wood 

Components

Meaning component
mián roof
Meaning component
tree

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangzraːds
slɯːɡ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang