jiào​lüè

approximately

jiào compare Simplified

Original meaning: horizontal beams on a carriage

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of . Based on the original meaning "horizontal beams on a carriage". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "horizontal beams on a carriage", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
jiāo to cross, to mix

Sources

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

lüè outline, approximately

Original meaning: demarcate land boundaries

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "demarcate land boundaries". The meaning later shifted to "outline" and "approximately".

Components

Meaning component
tián field
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "demarcate land boundaries", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
each
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartljak[r]ak draw a boundary; outline

說文解字

《說文》:“略,經略土地也。从田,各聲。”

Sources

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

jiào compare Traditional

Original meaning: horizontal beams on a carriage

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "horizontal beams on a carriage". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "horizontal beams on a carriage", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
jiāo to cross, to mix

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangkreːwɢs
kreːwɢ
Unicodegàu

Sources

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