希冀
xī​jì

hope

希 xī hope

Original meaning: type of cloth

Composed of 爻 (cross shape) and 巾 (cloth). 爻 is here used to depict the pattern of the cloth. Originally depicted a type of cloth. The meaning later shifted to "sparse", "rare", and "hope".

Components

爻
爻 Iconic component
yáo, xiào diagrams for divination

Depicts pattern on the cloth.

巾
巾 Meaning component
jīn cloth

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 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 Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 6 verified)

稀烯唏浠欷郗

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartxj+jqʰəj thin, sparse

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.2866
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

冀 jì hope for

Phonosemantic compound. 北 represents the meaning and 異 represents the sound.

Components

北
北 Meaning component
běi north
異
異 Sound component
yì different

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 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 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)

骥驥

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkijH[k]rə[t]-s (dial. < *[k]rək-s ?)hope
Zhengzhangkrɯls
Unicodegyì

說文解字

北方州也。从北異聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)