欧斑鸠
ōu​bān​jiū

European turtle dove

欧 ōu Europe Simplified

Original meaning: vomit

Simplified form of 歐. Phonosemantic compound. 欠 represents the meaning and 區 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "vomit". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

区
区 Sound component
qū area
欠
欠 Meaning component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient
Change in meaning
欠 hints at the original meaning of 欧, "vomit", which is no longer the most common meaning of 欧 in modern Mandarin.

Sources

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

斑 bān mottled

Markings 文 in jade 王

Components

王
王 Meaning component
wáng king
文
文 Meaning component
wén writing
王
王 Meaning component
wáng king

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

癍

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

癍

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpænpˤranvariegated
Zhengzhangpraːn
Unicodeban

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

鸠 jiū, qiú, zhì pigeon Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 鸟 represents the meaning and 九 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鳩.

Components

鸟
鸟 Meaning component
niǎo bird
九
九 Sound component
jiǔ nine

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

歐 ōu Europe Traditional

Original meaning: vomit

Phonosemantic compound. 欠 represents the meaning and 區 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "vomit". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

區
區 Sound component
qū area
欠
欠 Meaning component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient
Change in meaning
欠 hints at the original meaning of 歐, "vomit", which is no longer the most common meaning of 歐 in modern Mandarin.

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangqoː
qoːʔ
Unicodeqǒu

說文解字

《說文》：“歐，吐也。从欠，區聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

鳩 pigeon Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 鳥 represents the meaning and 九 represents the sound.

Components

鳥
鳥 Meaning component
niǎo bird
九
九 Sound component
jiǔ nine

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkjuw[k](r)u(a kind of bird)
Zhengzhangku
Unicodegiou

說文解字

鹘鵃也。从鳥九聲。

Sources

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