jìng​cāi

predict results

jìng compete Simplified

Simplified form of . Pictograph of two people side-by-side competing with each other.

Sources

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

cāi guess

Original meaning: viciously resent

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Meanings derived from resentful suspicion.

Components

Meaning component
quǎn dog

(dog, animal) signifies animalistic sentiment.

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "viciously resent", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
qīng green or blue
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

說文解字

《說文》:“猜,恨賊也。从犬,青聲。”

Sources

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

jìng compete Traditional

Pictograph of two people side-by-side competing with each other.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Wu) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartgjaengHm-kraŋʔ-s
(~ C-kraŋʔ-s)
strive; compete

說文解字

《說文》:“競,彊語也。一曰逐也。从誩,从二人。”

Sources

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