柲
bì

handle

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 必 represents the sound. Originally written as 必, a pictograph of a weapon handle.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
必
必 SoundIconic component
bì surely

Depicts a weapon.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpitpri[t] shaft, handle (of a weapon)

說文解字

《說文》:“柲,櫕也。从木,必聲。”

Sources

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