kào​chuāng

by the window

kào lean on

Original meaning: conflict

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "conflict". The meaning later shifted to "lean against".

Components

Sound component
gào tell
Meaning component
fēi not
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "conflict", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangkʰuːɡs

說文解字

《說文》:“靠,相違也。从非,告聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

chuāng window

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
xué, jué cave

A window is a "hole" in the wall.

SoundMeaning component
cōng chimney

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsrhaewngs-l̥ˤ<r>oŋ window

說文解字

《說文》:“囱,在牆曰牖,在屋曰囱。象形。窗,或从穴,,古文。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica