概览
gài​lǎn

overview

概 gài approximately

Original meaning: rod used to level off a heaped measure

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 既 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
Change in meaning
木 hints at the original meaning of 概, "rod used to level off a heaped measure", which is no longer the most common meaning of 概 in modern Mandarin.
既
既 Sound component
jì already
Change in sound

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkojH[k]ˤə[t]-s to strickle

說文解字

《說文》：“，斗斛。从木，既聲。邵瑛羣經正字：“今經典多作概。”

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)

览 lǎn look at Simplified

Components

见
见 Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

see

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

揽缆榄

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

覽 lǎn look at Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 見 represents the meaning and 監 represents the sound.

Components

見
見 Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see
監
監 SoundMeaning component
jiān watch carefully

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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 3 verified)

欖攬纜

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangɡ·raːmʔ
Unicodelɑ̌m

說文解字

《說文》：“覽，觀也。从見、監，監亦聲。”

Sources

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