毕业典礼
bì​yè​diǎn​lǐ

graduation

毕 bì finish Simplified

Simplified form of 畢. 比 represents the sound. The bottom component is a remnant from the traditional character 畢.

Components

比
比 Sound component
bǐ to compare
𠦒
𠦒 SimplifiedRemnant component
bān net for catching birds or rabbits

Remnant from the 𠦒 component in the traditional character 畢.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 4 verified)

跸哔荜筚

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

业 yè profession Simplified

Original meaning: attack

Simplified character from the top 5 strokes of the traditional 業. Depicts a person (大) carrying a weapon (丵). Based on the original meaning "attack". The meaning later shifted to "expand territory" and "develop business".

Components

丵
丵 SimplifiedRemnant component
zhuó chisel

Shorthand for the 丵 component. Depicts a chisel-shaped weapon.

業
大 Deleted component
dà, dài big

Depicts a person.

Component uses

Simplified (2)

显虚

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

邺

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.168-169Chinese Language Stack Exchange
Readings & variants
Unicode

典 diǎn document, work of scholarship

Depicts two hands (廾) holding a book (冊).

Components

冊
冊 Iconic component
cè book
廾
廾 Iconic component
gǒng two hands

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Warring States ~300 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

碘腆

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttenXtˤə[r]ʔ statute, norm

說文解字

《說文》：“典，五帝之書也。从在丌上，尊閣之也。莊都說：“典，大也。’，古文典从竹。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫中華語文知識庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

礼 lǐ social custom Simplified

Simplified form of 禮. Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 豊 represents the sound.

Components

礻
礻 Meaning component
shì show

礻 is a component form of 示.

乚
乚 Simplified component
yǐn, yà turning stroke

Shorthand for the 豊 component in the traditional character 禮.

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangriːʔ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

畢 bì finish Traditional

Original meaning: hunting net

Depicts a of hunting net (𠦒) used in a field (田) to catch birds or rabbits. Based on the original meaning "hunting net". The meaning later shifted to "finish".

Components

田
田 Iconic component
tián field
𠦒
𠦒 Iconic component
bān net for catching birds or rabbits

Depicts a net with a handle for catching birds or rabbits.


Character Evolution

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 Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

篳嗶蓽

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpjitpi[t] wooden fork
pjitpi[t] bird-net
pjitpi[t] finish (v.)

說文解字

《說文》：“畢，田罔也。从，象畢形微也。或曰甶聲。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.313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)

業 yè profession Traditional

Original meaning: attack

Depicts a person (大) carrying a weapon (丵). Based on the original meaning "attack". The meaning later shifted to "expand territory" and "develop business".

Components

丵
丵 Iconic component
zhuó chisel

Depicts a chisel-shaped weapon.

大
大 Iconic component
dà, dài big

Depicts a person.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn ~600 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

鄴嶪

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartngjaep[m-qʰ](r)[a]p work (n.)
ngjaep[m-qʰ](r)[a]p horizontal board of a bell stand or frame
ngjaep[ŋ](r)[a]p strong, sturdy

說文解字

《說文》：“業，大版也，所以飾縣鍾鼓，捷業如鋸齒，以白畫之，象其鉏鋙相承也。从丵，从巾，巾象版。《詩》曰：‘巨業維樅。’，古文業。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.168-169Chinese Stack Exchange
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

禮 lǐ gift Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 豊 represents the sound. Originally written as 豊.

Components

礻
礻 Meaning component
shì show

礻 is a component form of 示.

豊
豊 SoundMeaning component
lǐ, fēng abundant

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartlejX[r]ˤijʔ propriety, ceremony

說文解字

《說文》：“禮，履也，所以事神致福也。从示、从豊，豊亦聲。，古文禮。”

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)