Original meaning: weapon handle
Pictograph of a weapon handle, now written as 柲. 八 was later added as a decorative mark. Similar to 戈 but without the blade. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | pjit | pi[t] | necessarily |
說文解字
《說文》：“必，分極也。从八、弋，弋亦聲。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 林志強《《文源》評注》p.441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
Simplified form of 備. Depicts preparing a container for arrows to equip oneself for battle.
Components
Traditional
Depicts a person (亻) preparing a container for arrows to equip himself for battle.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Sound (0 of 1 verified)
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | bijH | [b]rək-s | complete (adj.) |
說文解字
《說文》：“備，慎也。从人，聲。，古文備。”
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)