shù​zhé

vertical-turn stroke

shù perpendicular Simplified

Original meaning: servant

Based on the original meaning "servant". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

𰀡
𰀡 Meaning component
qiān to gouge out an eye
dòu bean

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

zhé, zhē, shé break off

Depicts a hand () using an axe () to chop something. Older forms of this character depicted an axe chopping a tree into two pieces.

Components

Iconic component
shou, shǒu hand

is a component form of .

Iconic component
jīn axe

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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
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

Component uses

Sound (2 of 7 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdejH[d]ˤet-s solitary standing (sc. tree)
dzyetN-tet bend (v.i.)
tsyettet bend; break (v.t.)

說文解字

《說文》:“折,斷也。从斤斷艸,譚長說。,籀文折,从艸在仌中,仌寒,故折。𣂚,篆文折,从手。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

shù perpendicular Traditional

Original meaning: servant

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "servant". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Meaning component
to gouge out an eye
Sound component
dòu bean

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzyuX[d]oʔ palace attendant; young man

說文解字

《說文》:“豎,豎立也。从臤,豆聲。豎,籀文豎从殳。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica