biān​qiǎn

downsize troops

biān knit, compile, edit Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
biǎn flat

Sources

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

qiǎn send

Depicts a pair of hands (𦥑) sending out an army () from the military. The (walk) component was later added.

Components

Meaning component
chuò walk

is a component form of .

𦥑
𦥑 Iconic component
jú, jǔ, póu two hands

Depicts two hands.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 𦥑 than it was in ancient scripts.
shī teacher

𠂤 is used here as an abbreviation of .

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 Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 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 Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 4 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkhjienX[k]ʰe[n]ʔ send
khjienH[k]ʰe[n]ʔ-s (*kʰ- doesn't palatalize)grave goods

說文解字

《說文》:“遣,縱也。从辵,聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.126
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

biān knit, compile, edit Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
biǎn flat

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
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 Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpenpˤe[r] plait, weave
pjienpe[r]
(~ *mə-pe[r] in donor to HM)
plait, weave

說文解字

《說文》:“編,次簡也。从糸,扁聲。”

Sources

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