shú​kuǎn

ransom

shú, shù buy Simplified

To sell  a soul for money  also provides the pronunciation

Components

Meaning component
bèi sea shell
SoundMeaning component
mài, mai sell

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

kuǎn item, funds

Original meaning: desire to have something

Phonosemantic compound. represents the sound and represents the meaning. Based on the original meaning "desire to have something". The meaning later shifted to "funds" and "item".

Components

Sound component
nài crab-apple tree
Change in sound
Meaning component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "desire to have something", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangkʰloːnʔ
Unicodekuɑn

說文解字

《說文》:“,意有所欲也。从欠,祟欠省。歀,或从柰。”

Sources

Character origin
李学勤《字源》p.768
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

buy Traditional

To sell  a soul for money  also provides the pronunciation

Components

Meaning component
bèi sea shell
SoundMeaning component
mài, mai sell

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartzyowkCə.lokredeem
Zhengzhangɦljoɡ
Unicodejhiok

說文解字

貿也。从貝𧸇聲。

Sources

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