钻探
zuān​tàn

exploratory drilling

钻 zuān drill Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鑽.

Components

钅
钅 Meaning component
jīn metal

钅 is a component form of 金.

占
占 Sound component
zhàn divine

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

探 tàn, tan explore, find

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 罙 represents the sound.

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

罙
罙 Sound component
shēn deep
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartthoml̥ˤ[ə]m put the hand into and test

說文解字

《說文》：“，遠取之也。从手，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)

鑽 zuān drill Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 釒 represents the meaning and 贊 represents the sound.

Components

釒
釒 Meaning component
jīn metal

釒 is a component form of 金.

贊
贊 Sound component
zàn praise, support

Character Evolution

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-Sagarttswan[ts]ˤorperforate, penetrate
Zhengzhangʔsoːn
ʔsoːns
Unicodetzuɑn

說文解字

所以穿也。从金贊聲。

Sources

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