Simplified
Original meaning: cutting edge
Depicts the cutting edge (一) of a knife blade (刀). Similar in origin to 亡. Based on the original meaning "cutting edge". The meaning later expanded to "perimeter", "area", and "square".
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | pjang | C-paŋ | square |
| pjang | paŋ | method | |
| pjang | paŋ | just, then |
說文解字
《說文》：“方，併船也。象兩舟省緫頭形。汸，方或从水。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p.685-686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)
Traditional
Depicts the hard work of sewing clothes (衣) with only firelight (炏). Later the 力 (strength, power) component was added.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | law | [r]ˤaw | toil |
| lawH | [r]ˤaw-s | to reward for toil |
說文解字
《說文》：“勞，劇也。从力，熒省。熒火燒冂，用力者勞。，古文勞从悉。”
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)