Original meaning: rub between fingers
Depicts grain (來) being rolled between the fingers in the left hand (左). Based on the original meaning "rub between fingers", now written as 搓. The meaning later shifted to "uneven" and "error".
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | tsrhae | tsʰraj | distinction; to select |
| tsrhea | [tsʰ]raj | distinction; to select | |
| tsrheaj | [tsʰ](ˤ)raj | distinction; to select | |
| tsrhje | tsʰraj | 參差 uneven | |
| tsha | [tsʰ]ˤaj | rub, polish, file (v.) |
說文解字
貳也。差不相值也。从左从𠂹。
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)
Simplified
Original meaning: carry on the head
Phonosemantic compound. 廾 represents the meaning and 已 represents the sound. Simplified form of 異. Based on the original meaning "carry on the head", now written as 戴. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Components
Character Evolution
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | yiH | ɢ(r)ək-s | different |
說文解字
《說文》：“异，舉也。从廾，聲。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 李学勤《字源》p.204-205
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Pictograph of a right-side up person (亻) and an upside-down person (𠤎), depicting the meaning "turn around" or "transform".
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | xwaeH | qʷʰˤ<r>aj-s | transform |
說文解字
《說文》：“化，教行也。从，从人，亦聲。”
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)
Traditional
Original meaning: carry on the head
Depicts two hands putting something on top of the head. Based on the original meaning "carry on the head", now written as 戴. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | yiH | ɢ(r)ək-s | different |
說文解字
《說文》：“異，分也。从廾、从畀。畀，予也。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 李学勤《字源》p.204-205
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)