颈背
jǐng​bèi

nape

颈 jǐng neck Simplified

Simplfied form of 頸. Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 𢀖 represents the sound.

Components

𢀖
𢀖 Sound component
jīng, xíng warp (textile)
页
页 Meaning component
yè page

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

背 bèi, bēi back

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 北 represents the sound.

Components

⺼
⺼ Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

⺼ is a component form of 肉.

北
北 SoundMeaning component
běi north

北 also serves as a meaning component.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

褙揹

Meaning (1)

揹

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartbwojHm-pˤək-s turn the back on
pwojHpˤək-s the back

說文解字

《說文》：“背，也。从肉，北聲。”

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)

頸 jǐng neck Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 頁 represents the meaning and 巠 represents the sound.

Components

頁
頁 Meaning component
yè (head), page
巠
巠 Sound component
jīng warp (textile)

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartgjiengm-[k]eŋ (no palatalization before *-eŋ?)neck
kjiengX[k]eŋʔ (no palatalization before *-eŋ?)neck

說文解字

《說文》：“頸，頭莖也。从頁，巠聲。”

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)