历史沿革
lì​shǐ​yán​gé

evolution

历 lì history Simplified

Simplified form of 歷. Phonosemantic compound. 厤 represents the meaning and 力 represents the sound.

Components

厂
厂 Simplified component
chǎng cliff, (roof)

Simplified shorthand of the traditional 厤 component.

力
力 Sound component
lì, li power

Component uses

Sound (0 of 7 verified)

雳沥枥呖苈疬坜

Sources

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

史 shǐ history

The characters 史 (history), 吏 (government official), 使 (cause; use; instruct), and 事 (matter; work; affair) are all etymologically related and all derive from the same ancient character, depicting a hand (又) holding a container for writing utensils.

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts a container for writing utensils.

又
又 Iconic component
yòu hand

Depicts a hand.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 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
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 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 3 verified)

驶吏駛

Iconic (1)

吏

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsriXs-rəʔ scribe

說文解字

《說文》：“史，記事者也。从又持中；中，正也。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.213-214
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

沿 yán, yàn follow a course

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

water

㕣
㕣 Sound component
yǎn a marsh at the foot of the hills

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartywenlon go along (a river); follow

說文解字

《說文》：“沿，緣水而下也。从水，聲。《春秋傳》曰：‘王沿夏。’”

Sources

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

革 gé leather

Pictograph of an animal hide laying flat.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Warring States ~300 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 Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Meaning (6 of 26 verified)

勒鞋鞭鞘鞠靴鞍靶羁鞅靳鞑靼鞯鞣鞒鞔鞲鞮鞦羈鞏韆韃韁鞵

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

缂鞫

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

霸

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkeakkˤrək hide, skin
keakkˤrək change (v.)

說文解字

《說文》：“革，獸皮治去其毛，革更之，象古文之形。，古文革，从三十，三十年為一世，而道更也。臼聲。”

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)

歷 lì experience, history Traditional

Original meaning: pass through

Phonosemantic compound. 止 (foot) represents the meaning and 厤 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "pass through". The meaning later expanded to also include "experience" and "history".

Components

厤
厤 Sound component
lì calendar
止
止 Meaning component
zhǐ (foot), stop

Depicts a foot

Change in meaning
止 hints at the original meaning of 歷, "pass through", which is no longer the most common meaning of 歷 in modern Mandarin.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Wu) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 5 verified)

櫪癧靂壢瀝

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlek[r]ˤek pass by; in turn

說文解字

《說文》：“歷，過也。从止，厤聲。”

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)