xún​gēn

investigate

xún, xín seek Simplified

Original meaning: measure of length

Simplified form of . Pictograph of two outstretched arms measuring lengt using a ruler. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 4 verified)

Sources

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

gēn root

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
tree
Sound component
gěn, gèn, hén blunt

Character Evolution

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-Sagartkon[k]ˤə[r] root, trunk

說文解字

《說文》:“根,木株也。从木,艮聲。”

Sources

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

xún, xín seek Traditional

Original meaning: measure of length

Pictograph of two outstretched arms measuring length using a ruler. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartzimsə-l[ə]m (< *-um ?)warm up
zimsə-l[ə]m measure of 8 chǐ 尺

說文解字

《說文》:“尋,繹理也。从工,从口,从又,从寸。工、口,亂也;又、寸,分理之。彡聲。此與同意。度人之兩臂為尋,八尺也。”

Sources

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