最优解
zuì​yōu​jiě

optimal solution

最 zuì most

Original meaning: gather

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 取 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "gather". The meaning later shifted to "accumulate", "many" and "most". Originally written as 㝡. Later extra strokes were added to the 宀 component.

Components

宀
宀 Meaning component
mián roof

Depicts gathering many things in one building. Originally written as 宀, later extra strokes were added.

Change in meaning
宀 hints at the original meaning of 最, "gather", which is no longer the most common meaning of 最 in modern Mandarin.
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 宀 than it was in ancient scripts.
取
取 Sound component
qǔ take
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

撮嘬蕞

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttswajH[ts]ˤot-s collect; most

說文解字

《說文》：“最，犯而取也。从冃，从取。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.617
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

优 yōu superior Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 尤 represents the sound. Simplified form of 優.

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

尤
尤 Sound component
yóu especially

Sources

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

解 jiě divide

Depicts separating (解) the horns (角) from a cow (牛) using a knife (刀).

Components

角
角 Iconic component
jiǎo, jué horn
刀
刀 Iconic component
dāo knife
牛
牛 Iconic component
niú cow

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 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 Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 6 verified)

懈蟹邂獬廨澥

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkeaXkˤreʔ cut up; unloose
heaXN-kˤreʔ understand
heaXN-kˤreʔ #NAME?

說文解字

《說文》：“解，判也。从刀判牛角。一曰解廌，獸也。”

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)

優 yōu superior Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 憂 represents the sound.

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

憂
憂 Sound component
yōu sad

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagart'juwʔ(r)u entertainer; liberal

說文解字

《說文》：“優，饒也。从人，憂聲。一曰倡也。”

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)