最新
zuì​xīn

latest

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)

新 xīn new

Original meaning: firewood

Phonosemantic component. 辛 represents the sound, and 斤 (axe) and 木 (tree) represent the original meaning "firewood", now written as 薪. The meaning later shifted to "fresh" and "new".

Components

辛
辛 Sound component
xīn laborious
木
木 Iconic component
mù tree

Depicts a tree being cut for firewood.

Change in meaning
木 hints at the original meaning of 新, "firewood", which is no longer the most common meaning of 新 in modern Mandarin.
斤
斤 Iconic component
jīn axe

Depicts an axe cutting a tree for firewood.

Change in meaning
斤 hints at the original meaning of 新, "firewood", which is no longer the most common meaning of 新 in modern Mandarin.

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 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 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
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

薪

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsins.tsʰi[n] new

說文解字

《說文》：“新，取木也。从斤，新聲。”

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)