杀鸡儆猴
shā​jī​jǐng​hóu

make an example

杀 shā kill Simplified

Simplified form of 殺. Depicts a person being decapitated.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

刹脎剎

Meaning (0 of 3 verified)

铩弑弒

Iconic (1)

殺

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.231-232
Readings & variants
Unicode

鸡 jī chickens Simplified

Simplified from a variant form of the traditional character 雞.

Components

又
又 Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand form of the 奚 component in the traditional character 雞.

鸟
鸟 Meaning component
niǎo bird

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

儆 jǐng warn

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 敬 represents the sound.

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

敬
敬 Sound component
jìng respect

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangkreŋʔ
ɡreŋs

說文解字

戒也。从人敬聲。《春秋傳》曰：“儆宮。”

Sources

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

猴 hóu monkey

Phonosemantic compound. 犭 represents the meaning and 侯 represents the sound.

Components

犭
犭 Meaning component
quǎn dog

犭 is a component form of 犬.

侯
侯 Sound component
hóu, hòu marquis

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthuwmə-gˤ(r)o monkey

說文解字

《說文》：“，夔也。从犬，矦聲。”

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)

殺 shā kill Traditional

Depicts a person being decapitated (杀) with a weapon (殳).

Components

杀
杀 Iconic component
shā kill

Depicts a person being decapitated.

殳
殳 Iconic component
shū weapon or tool

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

鎩

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsreats<r>at kill
sreajHs<r>at-s diminish

說文解字

《說文》：“殺，戮也。从殳，杀聲。，古文殺；，古文殺；，古文殺。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.231-232
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

雞 jī chicken Traditional

Originally was a pictograph of a chicken. Later changed to a phonosemantic compound of 奚 and 隹 (bird).

Components

奚
奚 Sound component
xī where? what? how? why?
隹
隹 Meaning component
zhuī, cuī, wéi bird

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 Late Shang ~1100 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkejkˤe fowl, chicken

說文解字

《說文》：“雞，知時畜也。从隹，奚聲。鷄，籀文雞从鳥。”

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)