电磁振荡
diàn​cí​zhèn​dàng

electromagnetic oscillation

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

磁 cí magnetic

Components

石
石 Meaning component
shí stone

stone

兹
兹 Sound component
zī, cí now

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangzɯ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

振 zhèn raise

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 辰 represents the sound.

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

辰
辰 Sound component
chén early morning

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
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 Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsyintər numerous; majestic
tsyinHtər-s shake

說文解字

《說文》：“振，舉救也。从手，辰聲。一曰奮也。”

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)

荡 dàng to toss about Simplified

Hot water 汤 wiping out plant life 艹; 汤 also provides the pronunciation

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass
汤
汤 SoundMeaning component
tāng, tang hot water

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

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)

蕩 dàng pond Traditional

Hot water 湯 wiping out plant life 艹; 湯 also provides the pronunciation

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass
湯
湯 SoundMeaning component
tāng, tang hot water

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdangXN.rˤaŋʔbeat furiously (of the heart)
dangHlˤaŋ-sthrow out, purify from
Zhengzhangl̥ʰaːŋs
l'aːŋʔ
Unicodedhɑ̌ng
dhɑng
tɑng

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica