qī​méng

deceive

cheat, deceive

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Sound component
its, his, (3p possessive)
Meaning component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient

Character Evolution

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-Sagartkhikʰ(r)ə to deceive, cheat

說文解字

《說文》:“欺,詐欺也。从欠,其聲。”

Sources

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

méng, mēng, měng cover Simplified

Original meaning: a parasitic vine

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Originally the name of a plant, later meanings coincide with the original meaning of (to cover).

Components

Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "a parasitic vine", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
méng to cover

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Warring States 475-221 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 9 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartmuwngmˤoŋ cover (v.)

說文解字

《說文》:“蒙,王女也。从艸,冡聲。”

Sources

Character origin
李學勤 《字源》 p.58
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

méng, měng stupid Traditional

Components

Meaning component
eye

eye

Sound component
méng, mēng, měng cover

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangmoːŋ

說文解字

《說文》:“矇,童矇也。一曰不明也。从目,蒙聲。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica