shí​yàn​suǒ

institute

shí, shi real Simplified

Original meaning: rich; plentiful

Simplified form of . Depicts a string of money () under a roof (). Based on the original meaning "rich; plentiful". The meaning later expanded to "solid", "fruit", and "true". The component was changed to for simplification.

Components

Meaning component
mián roof
Simplified component
tóu, tou head

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

yàn test Simplified

Original meaning: type of horse

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "type of horse". The current meaning is a phonetic loan. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
horse
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "type of horse", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
qiān together

Sources

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

suǒ place

Origin unclear. represents the sound.

Components

Sound component
hù, hu door
Change in sound
Meaning component
jīn axe

The original purpose of this component is unclear.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsrjoXs-qʰ<r>aʔ place (n.); that which
xuXqʰaʔ 所所 = 許許 = 滸滸 sound of hewing wood

說文解字

《說文》:“所,伐木聲也。从斤,戶聲。”

Sources

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

shí, shi real Traditional

Original meaning: rich; plentiful

Depicts a string of money () under a roof (). Based on the original meaning "rich; plentiful". The meaning later expanded to "solid", "fruit", and "true".

Components

Meaning component
mián roof
Meaning component
guàn a string of 1000 coins

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Xin 9-23 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartzyitmə.li[t] fruit; full

說文解字

《說文》:“實,富也。从宀,从貫。貫,貨貝也。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.593漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

yàn test Traditional

Original meaning: type of horse

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "type of horse". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Meaning component
horse
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "type of horse", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
together

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngjemHm-qʰr[a]m-s verify

說文解字

《說文》:“驗,馬名。从馬,僉聲。”

Sources

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