临阵退缩
lín​zhèn​tuì​suō

get cold feet

临 lín draw near Simplified

Original meaning: to look down

Simplified form of 臨. Depicts a person (人) looking (臣) down at a pile of objects (品). 品 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning, "to look down". The meaning has shifted over time and now means "draw near".

Components

臣
臣 IconicSimplified component
chén minister

Depicts an eye.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 臣 than it was in ancient scripts.
人
人 Iconic component
rén, ren person
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 人 than it was in ancient scripts.
品
品 SoundIconicSimplified component
pǐn product

Here used to depict a pile of objects.

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫李学勤《字源》p.728-729
Readings & variants
Unicode

阵 zhèn burst, array of troops Simplified

Simplified form of 陣. Depicts a formation (阝) of soldiers in chariots (车).

Components

阝
阝 Meaning component
fù hill, place

阝 is a component form of 阜.

车
车 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

退 tuì retreat

Original meaning: take away a sacrificial offering

Depicts moving (辶) a sacrificial grain offering (簋) away. Based on the original meaning "take away a sacrificial offering". The meaning later shifted to "withdraw" and "retreat".

Components

辶
辶 Meaning component
chuò walk

辶 is a component form of 辵.

簋
簋 MeaningRemnant component
guǐ container for sacrificial grain

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

腿褪

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

褪煺

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartthwojHn̥ˤ[u]p-s withdraw (≠ advance)

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.129-130
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

缩 suō contract Simplified

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

thread

宿
宿 Sound component
sù, xiǔ lodge, sleep overnight

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

臨 lín draw near Traditional

Original meaning: to look down

Depicts a person (人) looking (臣) down at a pile of objects (品). 品 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning, "to look down". The meaning has shifted over time and now means "draw near".

Components

臣
臣 Iconic component
chén minister

Depicts an eye.

人
人 Iconic component
rén, ren person
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 人 than it was in ancient scripts.
品
品 SoundIconic component
pǐn product

Here used to depict a pile of objects.


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
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlim(p.)rum look down at

說文解字

《說文》：“臨，監臨也。从臥，品聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫李学勤《字源》p.728-729
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

陣 zhèn burst, array of troops Traditional

Depicts a formation (阝) of soldiers in chariots (車).

Components

阝
阝 Meaning component
fù hill, place

阝 is a component form of 阜.

車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdrinHlri[n]-s battle array

Sources

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

縮 suō contract Traditional

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

thread

宿
宿 Sound component
sù, xiǔ lodge, sleep overnight

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsrjuwk[s]rukshrink
Zhengzhangsruɡ
Unicodeshriuk

說文解字

亂也。从糸宿聲。一曰蹴也。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)