bèi​jiā​diàn​chí

battery case

bèi, bēi back

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

Components

Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

⺼ is a component form of .

SoundMeaning component
běi north

also serves as a meaning component.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

Meaning (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartbwojHm-pˤək-s turn the back on
pwojHpˤək-s the back

說文解字

《說文》:“背,也。从肉,北聲。”

Sources

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

jiā, jiá be wedged or inserted between, pressed from two sides Simplified

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a person () being pushed by people on both sides.

Components

Iconic component
dà, dài big

Depicts a standing person being pushed from both sides.

Iconic component
rén, ren person

Depicts a person pushing from the left.

Iconic component
rén, ren person

Depicts a person pushing from the right.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 13 verified)

Meaning (0 of 5 verified)

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

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

diàn electricity Simplified

Original meaning: lightning

Simplified form of , which depicts lightning () during a rainstorm (). The component was deleted for simplification.

Components

Deleted component
rain
SoundIconic component
shēn to extend

Depicts lightning.

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.981-982
Readings & variants
Unicode

chí pool

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

is a component form of .

Sound component
also
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdrjeCə.lraj pool (n.)

Sources

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

jiā, jiá be wedged or inserted between, pressed from two sides Traditional

Pictograph of a person () being pushed by people on both sides.

Components

Iconic component
dà, dài big

Depicts a standing person being pushed from both sides.

Iconic component
rén, ren person

Depicts a person pushing from the left.

Iconic component
rén, ren person

Depicts a person pushing from the right.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 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 Qin 221-206 BC
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 (1 of 12 verified)

Meaning (0 of 5 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkeapkˤ<r>ep press between

說文解字

《說文》:“夾,持也。从大,俠二人。”

Sources

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

diàn electricity Traditional

Original meaning: lightning

Depicts lightning () during a rainstorm ().

Components

Meaning component
rain
SoundIconic component
shēn to extend

Depicts lightning.

Change in sound

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 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
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdenHlˤi[n]-s lightning

說文解字

《說文》:“電,陰陽激燿也。从雨,从申。,古文電。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.981-982
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica