潜在媒介
qián​zài​méi​jiè

potential vector

潜 qián hide Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 替 represents the sound. Simplified form of 潛.

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

替
替 Sound component
tì take the place of, stand in for

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

在 zài be at

Composed of 才 and 士, which both represent the sound.

Components

才
才 Sound component
cái, cai talent
士
士 Sound component
shì, shi scholar, soldier

Modern form looks like 土, but is unrelated.

Change in sound

Character Evolution

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

茬

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzojX[dz]ˤəʔ be at, be present

說文解字

《說文》：“在，存也。从土，才聲。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.908
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

媒 méi, mèi matchmaker, medium

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 某 represents the sound.

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
某
某 Sound component
mǒu certain thing or person

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartmwojC.mˤə match-maker, go-between

說文解字

《說文》：“媒，謀也，謀合二姓。从女，某聲。”

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)

介 jiè to lie between

Depicts a person between two lines.

Components

人
人 Iconic component
rén, ren person
◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts two things the person is standing between.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 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

Component uses

Sound (3 of 8 verified)

界价阶尬芥疥蚧骱

Simplified (1)

养

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

骱

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkeajHkˤr[e]p-s armour; scale of animals

說文解字

《說文》：“介，畫也。从八，从人。人各有介。”

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)

潛 qián hide Traditional

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

water

朁
朁 Sound component
cǎn, qián, jiàn if

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzjem[dz][o]mgo under water; 驩潛 Khwārazm (region in Central Asia, W. Hàn)
dzjemH[dz][o]m-sto hide; secretly
Zhengzhangzlom
zloms
Unicodedzhiɛm

說文解字

涉水也。一曰藏也。一曰漢水爲潛。从水朁聲。

Sources

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