痒痒挠
yǎng​yang​náo

backscratcher

痒 yǎng variant of 癢|痒[yǎng] Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 羊 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癢.

Components

疒
疒 Meaning component
nè sick
羊
羊 Sound component
yáng sheep

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartyang[ɢ](r)aŋdisease; suffer
zjangs.[ɢ]aŋdisease; harm
Zhengzhangljaŋ
laŋʔ

說文解字

瘍也。从疒羊聲。

Sources

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

挠 náo, xiāo, rào scratch Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 尧 represents the sound. Simplified form of 撓.

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

尧
尧 Sound component
yáo a legendary ancient emperor-sage

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

癢 itch Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 養 represents the sound.

Components

疒
疒 Meaning component
nè sick
養
養 Sound component
yǎng raise, bring up

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartyangXCə.ɢaŋʔitch
Zhengzhanglaŋʔ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang

撓 scratch Traditional

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

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

堯
堯 Sound component
legendary ancient emperor-sage

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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnræwXm-[q]ʰˤrewʔbend (v.); flinch
nræwXnˤ<r>[a]wʔdisturb
Zhengzhanghŋaːw
rŋaːw
rnaːwʔ
Unicodenǎu

說文解字

擾也。从手堯聲。一曰捄也。

Sources

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