战略防御倡议
zhàn​lüè​fáng​yù​chàng​yì

Strategic Defense Initiative

战 zhàn war Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 戈 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 戰.

Components

占
占 Sound component
zhàn divine
戈
戈 Meaning component
gē spear

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

略 lüè outline, approximately

Original meaning: demarcate land boundaries

Phonosemantic compound. 田 represents the meaning and 各 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "demarcate land boundaries". The meaning later shifted to "outline" and "approximately".

Components

田
田 Meaning component
tián field
Change in meaning
田 hints at the original meaning of 略, "demarcate land boundaries", which is no longer the most common meaning of 略 in modern Mandarin.
各
各 Sound component
gè each
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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-Sagartljak[r]ak draw a boundary; outline

說文解字

《說文》：“略，經略土地也。从田，各聲。”

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)

防 fáng defend

Phonosemantic compound. 阝 represents the meaning and 方 represents the sound.

Components

阝
阝 Meaning component
fù hill, place

阝 is a component form of 阜.

方
方 Sound component
fāng, fang square

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartbjang[m-p]aŋ dike

說文解字

隄也。从𨸏方聲。

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)

御 yù to govern, to resist

Original meaning: to use, to control

Depicts a person (卩) using a pestle (午). 午 also represents the sound. The 辵 (walk) component was later added to emphasize action. Based on the original meaning, “to use, to control”. The meaning later shifted to “to govern”. In simplified Chinese 御 is also used to mean "to resist", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 禦.

Components

午
午 SoundIconic component
wǔ, wu noon

Depicts a pestle.

Change in sound
卩
卩 Iconic component
jié person kneeling

Depicts a kneeling person.

辵
辵 Meaning component
chuò walk
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 辵 than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Warring States 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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 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
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 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
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

禦

Meaning (1)

禦

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngjoXm-[qʰ](r)aʔ ward off; withstand
ngjoH[ŋ](r)a-s drive a chariot (loan)

說文解字

《說文》：“御，使馬也。从彳，从卸。馭，古文御。从又，从馬。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.132-133zi.tools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)

倡 chàng guide

Someone 亻 who lights the way 昌; 昌 also provides the pronunciation

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person
昌
昌 SoundMeaning component
chāng, chàng prosperous

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsyhangHmə-tʰaŋ-sto lead (in singing)
Zhengzhangtʰjaŋ
tʰjaŋs
Unicodechiɑ̀ng
chiɑ̀ng

說文解字

樂也。从人昌聲。

Sources

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

议 yì consult Simplified

Simplified form of 議. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 义 represents the sound.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

义
义 Sound component
yì justice

Sources

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

戰 zhàn war Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 戈 represents the meaning and 單 represents the sound.

Components

單
單 Sound component
dān single
戈
戈 Meaning component
gē spear

Character Evolution

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 Qin 221-206 BC
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsyenHtar-s to fear
tsyenHtar-s battle

說文解字

《說文》：“戰，鬭也。从戈，單聲。”

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)

議 yì consult Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 義 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
義
義 Sound component
yì right conduct

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngjeHŋ(r)aj-s discuss

說文解字

《說文》：“議，語也。从言，義聲。”

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)