锄奸
chú​jiān

eliminate traitors

锄 chú hoe Simplified

A metal 钅 tool 助; 助 also provides the pronunciation

Components

钅
钅 Meaning component
jīn metal
助
助 SoundMeaning component
zhù help

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

奸 jiān wicked

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 干 represents the sound. Simplified form of 姦.

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
干
干 Sound component
gàn, gān interfere

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkankˤa[r]treacherous
Zhengzhangkaːn

說文解字

犯婬也。从女从干，干亦聲。

Sources

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

鋤 chú hoe Traditional

A metal 釒 tool 助; 助 also provides the pronunciation

Components

釒
釒 Meaning component
jīn metal
助
助 SoundMeaning component
zhù help

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Jin 266-420 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzrjos-[l]<r>ahoe (n.); to hoe
Zhengzhangzra
Unicodejrhiu

Sources

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