Simplified
Original meaning: storage container
Pictograph of a container for storing things. Original form of 貯. In simplified Chinese 宁 is also used to mean "peaceful", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 寧.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Old Chinese | |
|---|---|
| Zhengzhang | da |
| daʔ |
說文解字
《說文》：“宁，辨積物也。象形。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 漢語多功能字庫黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》 p.1508-1509
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Zhengzhang Shangfang
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Pictograph of a left hand. The 工 (work) component was added later to represent the meaning "help; assist", now written as 佐.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | tsaX | tsˤa[j]ʔ | left (side) |
| tsaX | tsˤa[j]ʔ | assist | |
| tsaH | tsˤarʔ-s | assist |
說文解字
《說文》：“左，手相左助也。从、工。”
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)
Original meaning: cut throat
Depicts a knife (刀) cutting with drops of blood coming out, based on the original meaning "cut throat", now written as 刎. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | mjut | mut | don't |
| mjut | mut | not ... it |
說文解字
《說文》：“勿，州里所建旗。象其柄，有三游。雜帛，幅半異。所以趣民，故遽稱勿勿。，勿或从。”
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)
Pictograph of a right hand. The 口 (mouth) component was added later to distinguish the character from 又.
Components
口 Distinguishing component
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | hjuwX | [ɢ]ʷəʔ | right hand |
| hjuwH | [ɢ]ʷəʔ-s (~ *m-qʷəʔ) | right hand |
說文解字
《說文》：“右，手口相助也。从又，从口。”
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)
Traditional
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | neng | nˤeŋ | peace |
說文解字
《說文》：“寧，願詞也。从丂，寍聲。”
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)