琴锤
qín​chuí

mallet

琴 qín Chinese lute or guitar

The top component is a pictograph of a zither-like stringed musical instrument. 今 is a sound component.

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Pictograph of a stringed musical instrument similar to a zither.

今
今 Sound component
jīn now

Character Evolution

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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartgim[C.ɢ](r)[ə]m lute

說文解字

《說文》：“琴，禁也。神農所作。洞越，練朱五弦，周加二弦。象形。”

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)

锤 chuí balance weight on scale Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 垂 represents the sound. Simplified form of 錘.

Components

钅
钅 Meaning component
jīn metal

钅 is a component form of 金.

垂
垂 Sound component
chuí droop

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

錘 chuí balance weight on scale Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 釒 represents the meaning and 垂 represents the sound.

Components

釒
釒 Meaning component
jīn metal

釒 is a component form of 金.

垂
垂 Sound component
chuí droop

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdrjwem-t<r>ojsledge-hammer
Zhengzhangdol
dols
du

說文解字

八銖也。从金垂聲。

Sources

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