Simplified
Adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character 義. Phonosemantic compound. 羊 represents the meaning and 我 represents the sound. In ancient China sheep (羊) were associated with goodness and beauty, which is why 羊 is a component in characters like 美 (beautiful), 善 (benevolent), and 義 (justice).
Components
Original meaning: walls at side of palace
Phonosemantic compound. 广 represents the meaning and 予 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "walls at side of palace". The meaning later shifted to "order" and "sequence".
Components
Character Evolution
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | zjoX | [sə.l]aʔ | walls at side of palace |
說文解字
《說文》：“序，東西牆也。从广，予聲。”
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)
Original meaning: break apart
歹 depicts a wooden post with a cracked bottom and 刂 depicts a knife. Both used to convey the original meaning "break apart". 歹 also represents the sound. The meaning later shifted to "arrange in order" and "list".
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | ljet | [r][e]t | tear apart; rank |
說文解字
《說文》：“列，分解也。从刀，聲。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.355
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Traditional
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Sound (0 of 1 verified)
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | trjwenX | mə-tronʔ | turn around, transfer |
| trjwenX | tronʔ | 輾轉 toss and turn ((Ode 1.2, 145.3) |
說文解字
《說文》：“轉，運也。从車，專聲。”
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)
Traditional
Phonosemantic compound. 羊 represents the meaning and 我 represents the sound. In ancient China sheep (羊) were associated with goodness and beauty, which is why 羊 is a component in characters like 美 (beautiful), 善 (benevolent), and 義 (justice).
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | ngjeH | ŋ(r)aj-s | duty; justice |
說文解字
《說文》：“義，己之威儀也。从我羊。羛，《墨翟書》義从弗。魏郡有羛陽鄉，讀若錡。今屬鄴，本內黃北二十里。”
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)