Jié​ruì​· Sòng​fēi

Jerry Seinfeld

jié outstanding Simplified

Depicts a tree () and fire (). Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
tree
Meaning component
biāo, huǒ fire

is a component form of .

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangɡrad

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

ruì token made of jade, lucky, auspicious

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

𤣩
𤣩 Meaning component
jade
Sound component
duān, zhuān tip, start, extremity
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Wu) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzyweH[d]or-s jade tablet

說文解字

《說文》:“瑞,以玉為信也。从玉、耑。”

Sources

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

sòng Song dynasty

Original meaning: dwelling

Depicts a building () made of wood (). Based on the original meaning "dwelling". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Iconic component
mián roof
Iconic component
tree

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsowngH[s]ˤuŋ-s (place name)

說文解字

《說文》:“宋,居也。从宀,从木。”

Sources

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

fēi fly Simplified

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a flying bird.

Sources

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

hero Traditional

Original meaning: to be elevated

Originally written as , which depicts two feet () on top of a tree (). (person) was later added to the character as a meaning component. Based on the original meaning, "to be elevated". The meaning later shifted to "outstanding person" and "hero".

Components

Meaning component
rén person

is a component form of .

SoundIconic component
jié cruel

Depicts two feet () on top of a tree ().

Character Evolution

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

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartgjetN-[k]<r>at remarkable; hero

說文解字

《說文》:“傑,傲也。从人,桀聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.2404
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

fēi fly Traditional

Pictograph of a flying bird.

Character Evolution

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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpj+jCə.pə[r] (dialect: *-r > *-j)fly (v.)

說文解字

《說文》:“飛,鳥翥也。象形。”

Sources

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