欧莳萝
ōu​shí​luó

cumin

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

莳 shí, shì transplant Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 时 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蒔.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

时
时 Sound component
shí time

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

萝 luó type of creeping plant Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 罗 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蘿.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

罗
罗 Sound component
luó, luō, luo net for catching birds

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)

蒔 transplant Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 時 represents the sound.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

時
時 Sound component
shí time

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangdjɯ
djɯs

說文解字

更別種。从艸時聲。

Sources

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

蘿 luó type of creeping plant Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 羅 represents the sound.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

羅
羅 Sound component
net for catching birds

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangraːl
Unicodelɑ

說文解字

莪也。从艸羅聲。

Sources

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