fū​yǎn

elaborate

spread

Components

Sound component
to state to
Meaning component
tap

tap

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartphjupʰ(r)aspread widely
Zhengzhangpʰa
Unicodepio

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang

yǎn perform

Original meaning: flow out

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "flow out". The meaning later shifted to "spread", "develop", and "perform".

Components

Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

is a component form of .

Sound component
yín 3rd earthly branch

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartyenXN-q(r)anʔ flow out, extend

說文解字

《說文》:“演,長流也。一曰水名。从水,寅聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica