眯眼
mī​yǎn

squint

眯 mī be blinded Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 米 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瞇.

Components

目
目 Meaning component
mù eye
米
米 Sound component
mǐ rice

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangmiːʔ

說文解字

艸入目中也。从目米聲。

Sources

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

眼 yǎn eye

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

Components

目
目 Meaning component
mù eye
艮
艮 Sound component
gěn, gèn, hén blunt

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngonXŋˤə[n]ʔ protrude as a knob
ngeanX[ŋ]ˤ<r>ə[n]ʔ eye

說文解字

《說文》：“眼，目也。从目，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)

瞇 mī to close (the eyes) Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 迷 represents the sound.

Components

目
目 Meaning component
mù eye
迷
迷 Sound component
mí get lost, go astray

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode