sǎn​luàn

disordered

sàn, sǎn scatter

Originally written as 𢽳, which depicted trees () being struck () to make things fall off the tree and scatter. The character was sometimes confused with the character , and a corruption of it visually similar to was added.

Components

𢽳
𢽳 SoundMeaning component
sàn scatter
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 𢽳 than it was in ancient scripts.
Remnant component
jiǎ small jade wine cup

Modern form looks like .

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

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Warring States 475-221 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 4 verified)

Meaning (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsanX[s]ˤa[n]ʔ scattered (adj.)
sanHmə-sˤa[n]ʔ-s scatter (v.t.)

說文解字

《說文》:“,雜肉也。从肉,聲。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.345-346
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

luàn confusion, mess Simplified

Original meaning: untangle threads

Simplified form of . Originally written as 𤔔, which depicts two hands (𠬪) untangling threads () on a silk frame. was later added as a distinguishing mark. The meaning later shifted to "mess" and "confusion".

Components

Simplified component
shé tongue

Shorthand for the 𤔔 component in the traditional character .

yǐn, yà turning stroke

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.960漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

luàn confusion, mess Traditional

Original meaning: untangle threads

Originally written as 𤔔, which depicts two hands (𠬪) untangling threads () on a silk frame. was later added as a distinguishing mark. The meaning later shifted to "mess" and "confusion".

Components

𤔔
𤔔 SoundIconic component
luàn (untangle threads), to govern

Depicts two hands (𠬪) untangling threads () on a silk frame.

yǐn, yà turning stroke

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 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 Qin 221-206 BC
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-SagartlwanH[r]ˤo[n]-s disorder, rebellion

說文解字

《說文》:“亂,治也。从乙。乙,治之也。从。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.960漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica