正负号
zhèng​fù​hào

plus-minus sign

正 zhèng, zheng, zhēng correct

Original meaning: to attack (an enemy)

Depicts a foot (止) going out towards city walls (丁). 丁 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "to attack (an enemy)", now written as 征. The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "correct".

Components

丁
丁 SoundIconic component
dīng cubes

Depicts city walls.

Change in sound
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 丁 than it was in ancient scripts.
止
止 Iconic component
zhǐ (foot), stop

Depicts a foot.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (9 of 12 verified)

定政证整征延症怔焉罡钲鉦

Iconic (1)

征

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

歪

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsyengC.teŋ 1st (month)
tsyengHteŋ-s correct (adj., v.)

說文解字

《說文》：“正，是也。从止，一以止。，古文正，从二，二，古上字。，古文正，从一、足，足者，亦止也。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.120
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

负 fù, fu bear, carry Simplified

Simplified form of 負. Depicts a person (人) carrying shells (贝) on their back.

Components

人
人 Iconic component
rén, ren person
贝
贝 Iconic component
bèi sea shell

Sources

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

号 hào, hao, háo call, mark Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 丂 represents the sound. Simplified form of 號.

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
丂
丂 Sound component
kǎo, qiǎo, yú axe handle

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 4 verified)

枵鸮號鴞

Meaning (1)

號

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthawH[g]ˤaw-s command, call (n.)

說文解字

《說文》：“号，痛聲也。从口，在丂上。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.393
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

負 fù, fu bear, carry Traditional

Depicts a person (人) carrying shells (貝) on their back.

Components

人
人 Iconic component
rén, ren person
貝
貝 Iconic component
bèi sea shell

Character Evolution

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-SagartbjuwX[b]əʔ carry on the back

說文解字

《說文》：“負，恃也。从人守貝有所恃也。一曰受貸不償。”

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)

號 hào, hao, háo call, mark Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 虎 represents the meaning and 号 represents the sound.

Components

虎
虎 Meaning component
hǔ, hu tiger

Alludes to the meaning "roar".

号
号 SoundMeaning component
hào, hao, háo call, mark

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 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

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

饕

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthaw[C.g]ˤaw call out
hawHCə.[g]ˤaw-s command, call (n.)

說文解字

《說文》：“號，呼也。从号，从虎。”

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)