lín​cì​zhì​bǐ

row upon row

lín fish scales Simplified

Components

Meaning component
fish

fish

Sound component
lín will-o'-the wisp, phosphorus

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

second, next

The (two) component represents the meaning "second" and also indicates the sound. The (deficient) represents the meaning "secondary" or "substandard".

Components

SoundMeaning component
èr two
Change in sound
Meaning component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient

Alludes to the meaning "second-class" or "inferior".

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Xin 9-23 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 11 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttshijH[s-n̥]i[j]-s lodge (v.)
tshijH[s-n̥]i[j]-s put in order; second

說文解字

《說文》:“次,不前不精也。从欠,二聲。,古文次。”

Sources

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

zhì comb Simplified

A wooden  comb  also provides the pronunciation

Components

Meaning component
tree
SoundMeaning component
jié holiday

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

to compare

Two spoons side-by-side, conveying the meaning "to put together", "match", or "compare". also represents the sound.

Components

SoundIconic component
bǐ, pìn spoon, (person)

Depicts a spoon.

SoundIconic component
bǐ, pìn spoon, (person)

Depicts a spoon.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (3 of 21 verified)

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartpjijXC.pijʔ compare
pjijHpij-s combine; all

說文解字

《說文》:“比,密也。二人為从,反从為比。夶,古文比。”

Sources

Character origin
尤梓竹《甲骨文字考釋提要(一)》p.56李学勤《字源》p.725
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

fish scales Traditional

Components

Meaning component
fish

fish

Sound component
lín will-o'-the wisp, phosphorus

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartlinC.r[ə][n]scale of fish or reptile
Zhengzhangrin
Unicodelin

說文解字

魚甲也。从魚粦聲。

Sources

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

comb Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
tree
SoundMeaning component
jié holiday

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangʔsriɡ
Unicodejrit

說文解字

《說文》:“櫛,梳比之總名也。从木,節聲。”

Sources

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