蜡样芽孢杆菌
là​yàng​yá​bāo​gǎn​jūn

Bacillus cereus

蜡 là wax Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 昔 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蠟.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
昔
昔 Sound component
xī, cuò in the past, ancient times

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Jin 266-420 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangzraːɡs
sʰaːɡs

說文解字

蠅䏣也。《周禮》：“蜡氏掌除骴。”从虫昔聲。

Sources

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

样 yàng shape Simplified

Original meaning: acorn

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 羊 represents the sound. Simplified form of 樣.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
Change in meaning
木 hints at the original meaning of 样, "acorn", which is no longer the most common meaning of 样 in modern Mandarin.
羊
羊 SoundSimplified component
yáng sheep

Simplified from the traditional component 羕.

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangʔslaːŋ
laŋ

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

芽 yá bud

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

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

牙
牙 Sound component
yá tooth

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartngæm-ɢˤ<r>ashoot, sprout
Zhengzhangŋraː
Unicodenga

說文解字

萌芽也。从艸牙聲。

Sources

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

孢 bāo spore

Phonosemantic compound. 子 represents the meaning and 包 represents the sound.

Components

子
子 Meaning component
zi, zǐ child
包
包 Sound component
bāo wrap

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

杆 gān, gǎn pole Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 干 represents the sound. Simplified form of 桿.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
干
干 Sound component
gàn, gān interfere

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangkaːns
Unicodegɑn

Sources

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

菌 jūn mushroom

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

plant

囷
囷 Sound component
qūn round-shaped storage bin for grain

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartgwinX[ɡ]runʔmushroom
Zhengzhangɡonʔ
ɡrunʔ

說文解字

地蕈也。从艸囷聲。

Sources

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

蠟 là wax Traditional

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect

insect

巤
巤 Sound component
liè whiskers

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlapk.rˤap (no pre-Qín exx.)wax
Zhengzhangraːb
Unicodelɑp

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang

樣 yàng shape Traditional

Original meaning: acorn

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 羕 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
Change in meaning
木 hints at the original meaning of 樣, "acorn", which is no longer the most common meaning of 樣 in modern Mandarin.
羕
羕 Sound component
yàng eternal

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhanglaŋs
Unicodeiɑ̀ng

說文解字

《說文》：“樣，栩實。从木，羕聲。”

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)

桿 pole Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 旱 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
旱
旱 Sound component
hàn drought

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Warring States 475-221 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangkaːnʔ

Sources

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