zhū​bào​tǎo​nì

quell insurgents

zhū execute Simplified

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

Components

Meaning component
yán speech

is a component form of .

Sound component
zhū, shū red pigment

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

bào violent

Original meaning: expose to sun

Depicts two hands () laying out rice () to dry under the sun (), representing the meaning "expose to sun", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "expose", "injure", and "violent".

Components

Iconic component
sun
Iconic component
gòng together with

Depicts two hands.

Iconic component
rice
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 3 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartbawH[b]ˤawk-s violent
buwkm-pˤawk expose to sun

說文解字

《說文》:“曓,疾有所趣也。从日出廾之。”

Sources

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

tǎo to discuss Simplified

Original meaning: manage, govern

Simplified form of . Depicts using speech () and one's hands () to manage or govern. The meaning later shifted to "discuss" and "ask for".

Components

Meaning component
yán speech

is a component form of .

Meaning component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Depicts a hand.

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫李学勤《字源》p.193-194
Readings & variants
Unicode

disobey

Originally written as , a pictograph of an upside-down person. The (walk) component was added later, representing a person walking in the wrong direction.

Components

SoundMeaning component
nì, pò, jí disobedient
Meaning component
chuò walk

is a component form of .

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 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 Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartngjaekŋrak go against

說文解字

《說文》:“逆,迎也。从辵,屰聲。關東曰逆,關西曰迎。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.147-148漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

execute Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
yán speech
Sound component
zhū, shū red pigment

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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-Sagarttrjutropunish; kill
Zhengzhangto
Unicodedjio

說文解字

討也。从言朱聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

tǎo to discuss Traditional

Original meaning: manage, govern

Depicts using speech () and one's hands () to manage or govern. The meaning later shifted to "discuss" and "ask for".

Components

Meaning component
yán speech
Meaning component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Depicts a hand.

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartthawX[t]ʰˤuʔ examine; denounce

說文解字

《說文》:“討,治也。从言,从寸。”

Sources

Character origin
李学勤《字源》p.193-194漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica