联赛
lián​sài HSK6

league

联 lián connect Simplified

Simplified form of 聯. Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 𢇇 represents the sound.

Components

耳
耳 Meaning component
ěr ear

Alludes to earrings connected to the ear.

关
关 Simplified component
guān to close

Shorthand for the phonetic 𢇇 component in the traditional character 聯.

Sources

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

赛 sài compete Simplified

Original meaning: thank offering

Simplified form of 賽. Phonosemantic compound. 貝 represents the meaning and 𡨄 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "thank offering". The meaning later shifted to "compete".

Components

𡨄
𡨄 Sound component
sāi, xià to stop up

𡨄 is a component form of 塞.

贝
贝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

Shells were used as currency in ancient China.

Sources

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

聯 lián connect Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 𢇇 represents the sound.

Components

耳
耳 Meaning component
ěr ear

Alludes to earrings connected to the ear.

𢇇
𢇇 Sound component
guān to run threads through a web in weaving
Change in sound

Character Evolution

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 Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

說文解字

《說文》：“聯，連也。从耳，耳連於頰也；从絲，絲連不絕也。”

Sources

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

賽 sài compete Traditional

Original meaning: thank offering

Phonosemantic compound. 貝 represents the meaning and 𡨄 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "thank offering". The meaning later shifted to "compete".

Components

𡨄
𡨄 Sound component
sāi, xià to stop up

𡨄 is a component form of 塞.

貝
貝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

Shells were used as currency in ancient China.

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangslɯːɡs

說文解字

《說文新附》：“賽，報也。从貝，塞省聲。”

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)