诛灭
zhū​miè

exterminate

诛 zhū execute Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 朱 represents the sound. Simplified form of 誅.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

朱
朱 Sound component
zhū, shū red pigment

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

灭 miè extinguish Simplified

Depicts putting a cover over a fire (火) to smother it. Simplified from 滅.

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts a cover used to smother a fire.

火
火 Iconic component
huǒ fire

Sources

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

誅 execute Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 朱 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
朱
朱 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
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

滅 miè extinguish Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 烕 represents the sound.

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

烕
烕 SoundMeaning component
miè extinguish

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn ~600 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Spring and Autumn 771-476 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-Sagartmjiet[m]et destroy

說文解字

《說文》：“滅，盡也。从水，烕聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)