Original meaning: weapon
Pictograph of a weapon with a forked blade and long handle. The meaning "I; me" is a phonetic loan.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | ngaX | ŋˤajʔ | we, I |
說文解字
《說文》:“我,施身自謂也。或說我,頃頓也。从戈,从。,或說古垂字。一曰古殺字。,古文我。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p.867
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Pictograph of a spear-like weapon.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | mjuw | m(r)u | a kind of lance |
說文解字
《說文》:“矛,酋矛也。建於兵車,長二丈。象形。,古文矛,从戈。”
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)
Originally a pictograph of a shield. The current form depicts a person (人) holding a shield.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | dwonX | lˤu[n]ʔ | shield |
說文解字
《說文》:“盾,瞂也,所以扞身蔽目。象形。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 漢語多功能字庫劉志基《中國漢字文物大系》Vol. 4, p.74
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Traditional
Components
Character Evolution
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | dek | [d]ˤek | oppose; enemy |
說文解字
《說文》:“敵,仇也。从攴,啻聲。”
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)