肌肉萎缩症
jī​ròu​wěi​suō​zhèng

muscular dystrophy

肌 jī muscle tissue

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 几 represents the sound.

Components

⺼
⺼ Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

⺼ is a component form of 肉.

几
几 Sound component
jǐ, jī small table

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkijkrə[j]flesh
Zhengzhangkril
Unicodegyi

說文解字

肉也。从肉几聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

肉 ròu meat

Pictograph of a piece of meat.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Iconic (5)

有多将骨將

Meaning (1 of 4 verified)

腐脔胬臠

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

瘸

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartnyuwkk.nuk meat, flesh

說文解字

《說文》：“肉，胾肉。象形。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.338
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

萎 wěi, wēi, wèi wither

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 委 represents the sound.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

委
委 Sound component
wěi bent, winding

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangqrol
qrols
Unicodeqyuɛ

說文解字

食牛也。从艸委聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

缩 suō contract Simplified

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

thread

宿
宿 Sound component
sù, xiǔ lodge, sleep overnight

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

症 zhèng disease

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 正 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癥.

Components

疒
疒 Meaning component
nè sick
正
正 Sound component
zhèng, zheng, zhēng correct

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangtjɯŋs

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

縮 suō contract Traditional

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

thread

宿
宿 Sound component
sù, xiǔ lodge, sleep overnight

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsrjuwk[s]rukshrink
Zhengzhangsruɡ
Unicodeshriuk

說文解字

亂也。从糸宿聲。一曰蹴也。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)