歌剧院魅影
Gē​jù​yuàn Mèi​yǐng

The Phantom of the Opera

歌 gē, ge song

Originally depicted a person carrying an axe while singing. Now a phonosemantic compound. 欠 (pictograph of a person opening their mouth) represents the meaning and 哥 represents the sound.

Components

哥
哥 Sound component
gē, ge elder brother

Originally depicted an axe being carried. Later reanalyzed into phonetic component 哥.

欠
欠 Iconic component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient

Depicts a person opening their mouth.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartka[k]ˤaj sing, song

說文解字

《說文》：“歌，詠也。从欠，哥聲。謌，謌（歌）或从言。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.696
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

剧 jù severe, dramatic, theatrical play Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 居 represents the sound. Simplified form of 劇.

Components

居
居 Sound component
jū live
刂
刂 Meaning component
dāo knife

刂 is a component form of 刀.

Sources

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

院 yuàn courtyard

Phonosemantic compound. 阝 represents the meaning and 完 represents the sound.

Components

阝
阝 Meaning component
fù hill, place

阝 is a component form of 阜.

完
完 Sound component
wán complete

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthjwenHɢʷra[n]-s wall round a courtyard

說文解字

堅也。从𨸏完聲。

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)

魅 mèi kind of forest demon

Components

鬼
鬼 Meaning component
guǐ ghost
未
未 SoundMeaning component
wèi not yet

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartmijHmr[ə][t]-s 魑魅 trhje.mijH a kind of demon

說文解字

《說文》：“鬽，老精物也。从鬼、彡。彡，鬼毛。魅，或从未聲。，古文。，籀文，从彖首，从尾省聲。”

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)

影 yǐng shadow

Phonosemantic compound. 彡 represents the meaning and 景 represents the sound. The 彡 component depicts shadow lines.

Components

彡
彡 Iconic component
shān, xiǎn hair

Depicts shadow lines.

景
景 Sound component
jǐng scenery

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagart'jaengXqraŋʔ shadow (n.)

Sources

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

劇 jù severe, dramatic, theatrical play Traditional

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

Components

豦
豦 Sound component
jù, qú a wild boar
刂
刂 Meaning component
dāo knife

刂 is a component form of 刀.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangɡaɡ
Unicodeghiæk

說文解字

《說文新附》：“劇，尤甚也。从刀，未詳，豦聲。”

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)