niǎo​fèn

guano

niǎo bird Simplified

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a bird.

fèn manure Simplified

Original meaning: to clean up

Depicts two hands () using a dustpan () to sweep away garbage or feces. Based on the original meaning "to clean up". The meaning later shifted to "manure".

Components

Iconic component
rice

Used here to depict garbage or feces.

Iconic component
its, his, (3p possessive)

Depicts a dustpan.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Iconic component
gǒng two hands
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.314漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

niǎo bird Traditional

Pictograph of a bird.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttewXtˤiwʔ bird

說文解字

《說文》:“鳥,長尾禽緫名也。象形,鳥之足似匕,从匕。”

Sources

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

fèn manure Traditional

Original meaning: to clean up

Depicts two hands () using a dustpan () to sweep away garbage or feces. Based on the original meaning "to clean up". The meaning later shifted to "manure".

Components

Iconic component
rice

Used here to depict garbage or feces.

Iconic component
its, his, (3p possessive)

Depicts a dustpan.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Iconic component
gǒng two hands
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartpjunHp[u]r-s manure, dirt

說文解字

《說文》:“糞,棄除也。从廾推糞采也。官溥說:似米而非米者,矢字。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.314漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica