Sà​kǎ​shí​wéi​lì

Mikheil Saakashvili

Bodhisattva, Buddhist idol Simplified

Simplified form of . Used in transliterations of Sanskrit words, such as "Bodhisattva" (菩萨).

Components

Unknown component
cao, cǎo grass
Simplified component
[geographical place name]

Sources

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

stuck

Origin unclear, but typically explained as being stuck between something above () and something below (). The uses of to mean "card" or "calorie" are foreign phonetic loans.

Components

Iconic component
shàng, shang up
Iconic component
xià, xia under

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

Sources

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

shén, shen what

Original meaning: file of ten soldiers

The character is based on the original meaning "file of ten soldiers". The modern meaning "what" is a phonetic loan.

Components

Meaning component
rén person

is a component form of .

Meaning component
shí ten

Character Evolution

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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzyipt.[g]əp troop of ten men

說文解字

《說文》:“什,相什保也。从人、十。”

Sources

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

wéi hold together, maintain Simplified

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

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
zhuī, cuī, wéi bird

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

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

lì, li benefit

Depicts harvesting grain () with a blade (). Harvest was the main source of profit in agricultural societies.

Components

Iconic component
grain stalk
Iconic component
dāo knife

is a component form of .


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 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
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (3 of 11 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartlijHC.ri[t]-s sharp; profit

說文解字

《說文》:“利,銛也。从刀;和然後利,从和省。《易》曰:‘利者,義之和也。’”

Sources

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

Bodhisattva, Buddhist idol Traditional

Used in transliterations of Sanskrit words, such as "Bodhisattva" (菩萨). Possibly a corruption of .

Components

Unknown component
cao, cǎo grass

is a component form of .

Unknown component
[geographical place name]

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangsaːd

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

wéi hold together, maintain Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
zhuī, cuī, wéi bird

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartywijɢʷij (? < *ɢʷuj)rope for tying

說文解字

《說文》:“維,車蓋維也。从糸,隹聲。”

Sources

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