桀贪骜诈
jié​tān'ào​zhà

cruel and deceitful

桀 jié cruel

Original meaning: to be elevated

Depicts two feet (舛) on top of a tree (木). Based on the original meaning, "to be elevated", now written as 傑. The current meaning "cruel" is a phoentic loan.

Components

舛
舛 Iconic component
chuǎn oppose

Depicts two feet.

木
木 Iconic component
mù tree

Character Evolution

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 (1 of 2 verified)

磔傑

Iconic (1)

傑

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartgjetN-[k]<r>at remarkable; hero
gjetm-[k]<r>at perch for fowls
kjet[k]<r>at lift, raise

說文解字

《說文》：“桀，磔也。从舛在木上也。”

Sources

Character origin
黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.2404
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

贪 tān greedy Simplified

Depicts a mouth (今) facing a shell (贝). In ancient China, shells were used as currency. 今 also represents the sound. Simplified form of 貪.

Components

贝
贝 Iconic component
bèi sea shell
今
今 SoundIconic component
jīn now

Sources

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

骜 ào, yào wild horse Simplified

A rambling 敖 horse 马; 敖 also provides the pronunciation

Components

敖
敖 SoundMeaning component
áo, aó, ào ramble, stroll, roam
马
马 Meaning component
mǎ horse

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

诈 zhà cheat Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 乍 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詐.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

乍
乍 Sound component
zhà, zuò suddenly

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

貪 tān greedy Traditional

Depicts a mouth (今) facing a shell (貝). In ancient China, shells were used as currency. 今 also represents the sound.

Components

貝
貝 Iconic component
bèi sea shell
今
今 SoundIconic component
jīn now

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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-Sagartthomr̥ˤ[ə]m to covet

說文解字

《說文》：“貪，欲物也。从貝，今聲。”

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)

驁 wild horse Traditional

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangŋaːw
ŋaːws
Unicodengɑu
ngɑ̀u

說文解字

駿馬。以壬申日死，乘馬忌之。从馬敖聲。

Sources

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

詐 cheat Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 乍 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
乍
乍 Sound component
zhà, zuò suddenly

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsraeH[ts]ˤrak-streacherous
Zhengzhangʔsraːɡs

說文解字

欺也。从言乍聲。

Sources

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