挽联
wǎn​lián

funeral couplet

挽 wǎn to pull Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 免 represents the sound. Simplified form of 輓.

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

免
免 Sound component
miǎn (hat), avoid

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangmonʔ
Unicodemiæ̌n

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

联 lián connect Simplified

Simplified form of 聯. Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 𢇇 represents the sound.

Components

耳
耳 Meaning component
ěr ear

Alludes to earrings connected to the ear.

关
关 Simplified component
guān to close

Shorthand for the phonetic 𢇇 component in the traditional character 聯.

Sources

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

輓 pull Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 車 represents the meaning and 免 represents the sound.

Components

車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
免
免 Sound component
miǎn (hat), avoid

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangmonʔ
mons

說文解字

引之也。从車免聲。

Sources

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

聯 lián connect Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 𢇇 represents the sound.

Components

耳
耳 Meaning component
ěr ear

Alludes to earrings connected to the ear.

𢇇
𢇇 Sound component
guān to run threads through a web in weaving
Change in sound

Character Evolution

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 Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

說文解字

《說文》：“聯，連也。从耳，耳連於頰也；从絲，絲連不絕也。”

Sources

Character origin
Zhengzhang Shangfang漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)