Original meaning: go against
Phonosemantic compound. 彳 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "go against". The meaning later shifted to "fight", "ruthless", "extraordinary", and "very". Etymologically related to 狠.
Components
Character Evolution
Historical Pronunciations
| Old Chinese | |
|---|---|
| Zhengzhang | ɡɯːnʔ |
說文解字
《說文》：“很，不聽从也。一曰行難也。一曰盭也。从彳，聲。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 漢語多功能字庫
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Zhengzhang Shangfang
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Original meaning: arrow nock
Depicts an arrow nock. The nock is the part of an arrow that is held against the bowstring before being launched. Same origin as 氒. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | kjuwX | [k]ʷəʔ | a long time |
說文解字
《說文》：“久，以後灸之，象人兩脛後有距也。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p.480-481
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)