射雕英雄传
Shè Diāo Yīng​xióng Zhuàn

Legend of the Condor Heroes

射 shè shoot

Depicts a hand (又) pulling back a bowstring (弓) with an arrow (矢) to shoot. Later written as 身 and 寸.

Components

弓
弓 Iconic component
gōng bow

Depicts a bow.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 弓 than it was in ancient scripts.
矢
矢 IconicRemnant component
shǐ arrow

Depicts an arrow.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 矢 than it was in ancient scripts.
寸
寸 Iconic component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Originally 又 but later reanalyzed as 寸. Depicts a hand.


Character Evolution

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 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 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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (4 of 6 verified)

谢麝榭謝睪𠬤

Remnant (2)

睪𠬤

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartzyaeHCə.lAk-s shoot; archer
zyekCə.lAk hit with bow and arrow

說文解字

《說文》：“，弓弩發於身而中於遠也。从矢，从身。射，篆文从寸。寸，法度也，亦手也。”

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)

雕 diāo engrave Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 隹 represents the meaning and 周 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鵰.

Components

隹
隹 Meaning component
zhuī, cuī, wéi bird
周
周 Sound component
zhōu cycle

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttewtˤiwbird of prey
Zhengzhangtɯːw
Unicodedeu

說文解字

鷻也。从隹周聲。

Sources

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

英 yīng flower

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 央 represents the sound.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

央
央 Sound component
yāng beg

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Seal form
Seal Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

瑛

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagart'jaengʔ<r>aŋ young grass plants

說文解字

艸榮而不實者。一曰黃英。从艸央聲。

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)

雄 xióng male of species

Phonosemantic compound. 隹 represents the meaning and 厷 represents the sound.

Components

厷
厷 Sound component
gōng, hóng forearm
隹
隹 Meaning component
zhuī, cuī, wéi bird

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthjuwng[ɢ]ʷəŋ male

說文解字

《說文》：“雄，鳥父也。从隹，厷聲。”

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)

传 chuán, zhuàn pass on, transmit Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 专 represents the sound. Simplified form of 傳.

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

专
专 Sound component
zhuān monopolize

Sources

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

鵰 eagle Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 鳥 represents the meaning and 周 represents the sound.

Components

鳥
鳥 Meaning component
niǎo bird
周
周 Sound component
zhōu cycle

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangtɯːw
Unicodedeu

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

傳 chuán, zhuàn pass on, transmit Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 專 represents the sound.

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

專
專 Sound component
zhuān monopolize

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 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 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-Sagartdrjwenm-tron transmit
drjwenHN-tron-s what has been transmitted
trjwenHtron-s relay post

說文解字

《說文》：“傳，遽也。从人，專聲。”

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)