yì​jì

geisha

skill, art Simplified

Original meaning: to plant

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "to plant". The meaning later shifted to "skill" and "art". Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

is a component form of .

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "to plant", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
second

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

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

jì, jī prostitute

A working  woman  also provides the pronunciation

Components

Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
SoundMeaning component
zhī support, hold up

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangkre
ɡreʔ
Unicodeghyɛ̌

說文解字

婦人小物也。从女支聲。讀若跂行。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

skill, art Traditional

Original meaning: to plant

Originally written as . The component was added later, based on the original meaning "to plant". The meaning later shifted to "skill" and "art".

Components

Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

is a component form of .

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "to plant", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
SoundMeaning component
yì, shì art, skill
Unknown component
yún clouds

Corruption of the bottom part of the component in .

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngjiejHŋet-s (MC I!)cultivation, art, skill

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫李学勤《字源》p.218
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica