zǒng​cān​móu​zhǎng

chief of staff

zǒng collect Simplified

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind together", since thread () is used to put things together.

Components

Deleted component
silk
cōng agitated

Component uses

Sound (1)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

cān, shēn take part in Simplified

Original meaning: Three Stars constellation

Simplified form of . Depicts three () stars () shining (). Originally represented the Three Stars constellation () in Chinese astronomy. The more common meaning "take part in" is a phonetic loan.

Components

jīng bright, crystal

Depicts three stars joined together

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
IconicRemnant component
guāng light
SoundMeaning component
sān three

Component uses

Sound (0 of 8 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle Chinese
Unicodechrim
shrim
tsom

Sources

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

móu, mou plan Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
yán speech

is a component form of .

Sound component
mǒu certain thing or person

Sources

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

zhǎng, cháng long Simplified

Pictograph of an old person with long hair using a cane to walk. The simplified character was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character .

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 8 verified)

Sources

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

zǒng collect Traditional

Original meaning: bind together

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind together", since thread () is used to put things together.

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
cōng agitated

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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsuwng[ts]ˤoŋ bundle of threads
tsuwngX[ts]ˤoŋ bind together

說文解字

《說文》:“總,聚束也。从糸,悤聲。”

Sources

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

cān, shēn take part in Traditional

Original meaning: Three Stars constellation

Depicts three () stars () shining (). Originally represented the Three Stars constellation () in Chinese astronomy. The more common meaning "take part in" is a phonetic loan.

Components

Iconic component
jīng bright, crystal
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
IconicRemnant component
guāng light
SoundMeaning component
sān three

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
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 Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttshomr̥ˤəʔaccumulate
tsrhim[tsʰr][u]m 參差 tsrhim.tsrhje uneven
sams.rum (*s.r- > s-; infl. by 四 *s-?)three
srimsrum (should be *s.rum)the constellation Orion’ (named for the three stars in Orion’s belt)

說文解字

《說文》:“曑,商星也。从晶,聲。參,曑或省。”

Sources

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

móu, mou plan, scheme Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
yán speech
Sound component
mǒu certain thing or person

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartmjuwplan (v.)

說文解字

《說文》:“謀,慮難曰謀。从言,某聲。古文謀,亦古文。”

Sources

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

zhǎng, cháng long Traditional

Pictograph of an old person with long hair using a cane to walk.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 6 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdrjangCə-[N]-traŋ long (adj.)
trjangXtraŋʔ grow; elder

說文解字

《說文》:“長,久遠也。从兀,从匕。兀者,高遠意也。久則變化。亾聲。●者倒亾也。,古文長;,亦古文長。”

Sources

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