斐波那契
Fěi​bō​nà​qì

Fibonacci

斐 fěi graceful

Phonosemantic compound. 文 represents the meaning and 非 represents the sound.

Components

文
文 Meaning component
wén writing
非
非 Sound component
fēi not

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangpɯl
pʰɯlʔ

說文解字

分別文也。从文非聲。《易》曰：“君子豹變，其文斐也。”

Sources

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

波 bō waves

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 皮 represents the sound.

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

皮
皮 Sound component
pí skin
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 3 verified)

婆啵菠

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

啵

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpapˤaj wave (n.)

說文解字

《說文》：“波，水涌流也。从水，皮聲。”

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)

那 nà that

Phonosemantic compound. ⻏ represents the meaning and 冄 represents the sound.

Components

冄
冄 Sound component
rǎn drooping

冄 is a component form of 冉.

Change in sound
⻏
⻏ Meaning component
yì city

⻏ is a component form of 邑.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 3 verified)

哪娜挪

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartnanˤar ample

Sources

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

契 qì, xiè, qiè deed

A contract signed by cutting  notches 㓞 in wood  大

Components

㓞
㓞 SoundMeaning component
qià to engrave
大
大 Meaning component
dà, dài big

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 5 verified)

楔锲葜禊鍥

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

锲鍥

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkhejH[kʰ]ˤet-s script notches
khetkʰˤet 契闊 hard-working (Ode 31.4)
khetkʰˤet cut

說文解字

《說文》：“契，大約也。从大，从。《易》曰：‘後代聖人易之以書契。’”

Sources

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