电热毯
diàn​rè​tǎn

electric blanket

电 diàn electricity Simplified

Original meaning: lightning

Simplified form of 電, which depicts lightning (申) during a rainstorm (雨). The 雨 component was deleted for simplification.

Components

電
雨 Deleted component
yǔ rain
申
申 SoundIconic component
shēn to extend

Depicts lightning.

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.981-982
Readings & variants
Unicode

热 rè hot Simplified

Simplified form of 熱. Phonosemantic compound. 灬 represents the meaning and 埶 represents the sound.

Components

灬
灬 Meaning component
biāo, huǒ fire

灬 is a component form of 火.

执
执 Simplified component
zhí hold in hand

Shorthand for the 埶 component in the traditional character 熱.

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

毯 tǎn rug

Phonosemantic compound. 毛 represents the meaning and 炎 represents the sound.

Components

毛
毛 Meaning component
máo, mao hair
炎
炎 Sound component
yán flame

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangl̥ʰaːmʔ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

電 diàn electricity Traditional

Original meaning: lightning

Depicts lightning (申) during a rainstorm (雨).

Components

雨
雨 Meaning component
yǔ rain
申
申 SoundIconic component
shēn to extend

Depicts lightning.

Change in sound

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdenHlˤi[n]-s lightning

說文解字

《說文》：“電，陰陽激燿也。从雨，从申。，古文電。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.981-982
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

熱 rè hot Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 灬 represents the meaning and 埶 represents the sound.

Components

灬
灬 Meaning component
biāo, huǒ fire

灬 is a component form of 火.

埶
埶 Sound component
yì, shì art, skill
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

爇

Meaning (1)

爇

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnyetC.nat (or *C.ŋet?)hot

說文解字

《說文》：“熱，溫也。从火，埶聲。”

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)