欧洲刑警组织
ōu​zhōu Xíng​jǐng Zǔ​zhī

Europol

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

洲 zhōu continent

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 州 represents the sound.

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

州
州 SoundMeaning component
zhōu state, province, islet

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsyuwtu islet

Sources

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

刑 xíng punishment

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 井 represents the sound.

Components

井
井 Sound component
jǐng well

Modern form looks like 开.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 井 than it was in ancient scripts.
刂
刂 Meaning component
dāo knife

刂 is a component form of 刀.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

型硎

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartheng[ɢ]ˤeŋ punish(ment)
heng[ɢ]ˤeŋ model, form

說文解字

《說文》：“，剄也。仌刀，幵聲。”

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)

警 jǐng warn

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 敬 represents the sound.

Components

敬
敬 Sound component
jìng respect
言
言 Meaning component
yán speech

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkjaengXkreŋʔ warn, admonish

說文解字

戒也。从言从敬，敬亦聲。

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)

组 zǔ class Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound. Simplified form of 組.

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

纟 is a component form of 糸.

且
且 Sound component
qiě moreover
Change in sound

Sources

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

织 zhī weave Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 只 represents the sound. Simplified form of 織.

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

纟 is a component form of 糸.

只
只 Sound component
zhǐ, zhī only

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
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)

組 zǔ class Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound.

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

糹 is a component form of 糸.

且
且 Sound component
qiě moreover
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 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 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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangʔsaːʔ
Unicodetzǒ

說文解字

《說文》：“組，綬屬。其小者，以為冕纓。从糸，且聲。”

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)

織 zhī weave Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 戠 represents the sound.

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

糹 is a component form of 糸.

戠
戠 Sound component
zhī, zhí to gather

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsyiktək weave (v.)

說文解字

《說文》：“織，作布帛之總名也。从糸，戠聲。”

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)