Original meaning: firewood
Phonosemantic component. 辛 represents the sound, and 斤 (axe) and 木 (tree) represent the original meaning "firewood", now written as 薪. The meaning later shifted to "fresh" and "new".
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Sound (1)
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | sin | s.tsʰi[n] | new |
說文解字
《說文》:“新,取木也。从斤,新聲。”
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)
Depicts a person grabbing something with their hand. Original form of 把. In modern Chinese this character is usually used only for its sound.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | pae | pˤra | snake |
| pae | pˤra | [place name] |
說文解字
《說文》:“巴,蟲也。或曰食象蛇。象形。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.1637
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Simplified
Simplified form of 爾. Pictograph of a weapon with a sharp head and tail decorations on the end. Similar in origin to 朿. Original meaning unclear.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | nyeX | n[ə][r]ʔ | you(r) |
說文解字
《說文》:“尒,詞之必然也。从入、丨、八,八象气之分散。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p.259董蓮池《說文解字考正》p.129
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Pictograph of a tiger.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | xuX | qʰˤraʔ (W dialect: *qˤʰr- >r̥ˤ- > x-) | tiger |
說文解字
《說文》:“虎,山獸之君。从虍,虎足象人足,象形……虝,古文虎。,亦古文虎。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p.409
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Pictograph of a right hand. The 口 (mouth) component was added later to distinguish the character from 又.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | hjuwX | [ɢ]ʷəʔ | right hand |
| hjuwH | [ɢ]ʷəʔ-s (~ *m-qʷəʔ) | right hand |
說文解字
《說文》:“右,手口相助也。从又,从口。”
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)
Components
Character Evolution
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | gi | [g](r)ə | flag |
說文解字
《說文》:“旗,熊旗五游,以象罰星,士卒以為期。从,其聲。《周禮》曰:‘率都建旗。’”
Sources
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Traditional
Pictograph of a weapon with a sharp head and tail decorations on the end. Similar in origin to 朿. Original meaning unclear.
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | nejX | nˤ[ə][r]ʔ | numerous |
| nyeX | n[ə][r]ʔ | (adv. suffix) | |
| nyeX | n[ə][r]ʔ | you(r) |
說文解字
《說文》:“爾,麗爾,猶靡麗也。从冂,从,其孔;尒聲。此與爽同意。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p.259董蓮池《說文解字考正》p.129
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)