纹样
wén​yàng

pattern

纹 wén line Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 文 represents the sound. Simplified form of 紋.

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

纟 is a component form of 糸.

文
文 Sound component
wén writing

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

样 yàng shape Simplified

Original meaning: acorn

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 羊 represents the sound. Simplified form of 樣.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
Change in meaning
木 hints at the original meaning of 样, "acorn", which is no longer the most common meaning of 样 in modern Mandarin.
羊
羊 SoundSimplified component
yáng sheep

Simplified from the traditional component 羕.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangʔslaːŋ
laŋ

Sources

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

紋 wén line Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 文 represents the sound.

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

糹 is a component form of 糸.

文
文 Sound component
wén writing

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangmɯn
Unicodemiən

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

樣 yàng shape Traditional

Original meaning: acorn

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 羕 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
Change in meaning
木 hints at the original meaning of 樣, "acorn", which is no longer the most common meaning of 樣 in modern Mandarin.
羕
羕 Sound component
yàng eternal

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhanglaŋs
Unicodeiɑ̀ng

說文解字

《說文》：“樣，栩實。从木，羕聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)