最高工资限额
zuì​gāo​gōng​zī​xiàn'é

wage ceiling

最 zuì most

Original meaning: gather

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 取 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "gather". The meaning later shifted to "accumulate", "many" and "most". Originally written as 㝡. Later extra strokes were added to the 宀 component.

Components

宀
宀 Meaning component
mián roof

Depicts gathering many things in one building. Originally written as 宀, later extra strokes were added.

Change in meaning
宀 hints at the original meaning of 最, "gather", which is no longer the most common meaning of 最 in modern Mandarin.
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 宀 than it was in ancient scripts.
取
取 Sound component
qǔ take
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

撮嘬蕞

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttswajH[ts]ˤot-s collect; most

說文解字

《說文》：“最，犯而取也。从冃，从取。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.617
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

高 gāo high

Pictograph of a tall building.

Components

京
京 Iconic component
jīng capital city

Pictograph of a tall building.

口
口 Distinguishing component
kǒu, kou mouth

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Warring States ~300 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (6 of 18 verified)

毫搞乔豪稿敲膏镐蒿槁篙犒缟縞暠喬鎬槀

Meaning (3 of 4 verified)

乔嵩臺喬

Remnant (2)

毫臺

Simplified (1)

乔

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkawCə.[k]ˤaw high, tall

說文解字

《說文》：“高，崇也，象臺觀高之形。从冂、口，與倉舍同意。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.448
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

工 gōng work

Depicts a tool with a blade.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (11 of 23 verified)

空功红项江攻贡虹巩缸扛杠肛汞邛讧紅貢豇項仝舡訌

Meaning (3 of 7 verified)

式左巧扛杠讧訌

Iconic (4)

塞㠭𤔌𡨄

Unknown (0 of 3 verified)

巯隉湼

Simplified (1)

毁

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkuwngkˤoŋ officer
kuwngkˤoŋ work

說文解字

《說文》：“工，巧飾也。象人有規榘也。與巫同意。，古文工从彡。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.381-382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)

资 zī property Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 次 represents the sound. Simplified form of 資.

Components

次
次 Sound component
cì second, next
贝
贝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China shells were used as currency.

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

限 xiàn boundary

Phonosemantic compound. 阝 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

Components

阝
阝 Meaning component
fù hill, place

阝 is a component form of 阜.

艮
艮 Sound component
gěn, gèn, hén blunt
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartheanX[g]ˤrə[n]ʔ obstacle, limit

說文解字

《說文》：“限，阻也。一曰門榍。从，艮聲。”

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)

额 é forehead Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 客 represents the sound. Simplified form of 額.

Components

页
页 Meaning component
yè page
客
客 Sound component
kè guest

Sources

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

資 zī property Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 貝 represents the meaning and 次 represents the sound.

Components

次
次 Sound component
cì second, next
貝
貝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China shells were used as currency.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsij[ts]ij property, means of living

說文解字

《說文》：“資，貨也。从貝，次聲。”

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)

額 é forehead Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 頁 represents the meaning and 客 represents the sound.

Components

頁
頁 Meaning component
yè (head), page
客
客 Sound component
kè guest

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngaekC.ŋˤrak (no pre-Qín exx?)forehead

Sources

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