彩虹吸蜜鹦鹉
cǎi​hóng​xī​mì​yīng​wǔ

rainbow lorikeet

彩 cǎi, cai hue, color

Phonosemantic compound. 彡 represents the meaning and 采 represents the sound.

Components

采
采 Sound component
cǎi gather, pick
彡
彡 Meaning component
shān, xiǎn hair

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttshojXs.r̥ˤəʔ colorful

說文解字

《說文新附》：“彩，文章也。从彡，采聲。”

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)

虹 hóng, hòng, gòng rainbow

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 工 represents the sound. Originally was a pictograph of a creature, with two heads on each end, that resembled a rainbow.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
工
工 Sound component
gōng work

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthuwngm-kˤoŋ rainbow
kaewngHkˤroŋ-s rainbow

說文解字

《說文》：“虹，螮蝀也。狀似蟲。从虫，工聲。《明堂》、《月令》曰：‘虹始見。’”

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)

吸 xī inhale

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 及 represents the sound.

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
及
及 Sound component
jí extend

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartxipqʰ(r)əp inhale

說文解字

《說文》：“吸，內息也。从口，及聲。”

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)

蜜 mì honey

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 宓 represents the sound.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
宓
宓 Sound component
mì, fú quiet

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartmjitmithoney
Zhengzhangmliɡ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

鹦 yīng parrot Simplified

Components

婴
婴 Sound component
yīng infant
鸟
鸟 Meaning component
niǎo bird

bird

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

鹉 wǔ species of parrot Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 鸟 represents the meaning and 武 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鵡.

Components

鸟
鸟 Meaning component
niǎo bird
武
武 Sound component
wǔ military

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

鸚 parrot Traditional

Components

嬰
嬰 Sound component
yīng infant
鳥
鳥 Meaning component
niǎo bird

bird

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangqreːŋ
Unicodeqɛng

說文解字

鸚䳇，能言鳥也。从鳥嬰聲。

Sources

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

鵡 species of parrot Traditional

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

Components

鳥
鳥 Meaning component
niǎo bird
武
武 Sound component
wǔ military

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangmaʔ
Unicodemiǒ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang