由盛转衰
yóu​shèng​zhuǎn​shuāi

decline

由 yóu cause

Original meaning: helmet

Depicts a kind of helmet worn by warriors. Based on the original meaning "helmet", now written as 胄. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (6 of 18 verified)

油抽宙迪邮袖轴釉铀胄柚岫妯鼬蚰舳軸鈾

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

笛冑

Simplified (1)

庙

Iconic (1)

胄

Unknown (1)

甹

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartyuwl[u] follow; from

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.587
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

盛 shèng, chéng abundant

Phonosemantic compound. 皿 represents the meaning and 成 represents the sound.

Components

皿
皿 Meaning component
mǐn, mǐng dish

Depicts a full container.

成
成 Sound component
chéng, cheng completed

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzyeng[d]eŋ put in (a receptacle)
dzyengH[d]eŋ-s full, abundant

說文解字

《說文》：“盛，黍稷在器中以祀者也。从皿，成聲。”

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)

转 zhuǎn, zhuàn turn Simplified

Simplified form of 轉. Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 專 represents the sound.

Components

车
车 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
专
专 SoundMeaning component
zhuān monopolize

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

啭

Sources

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

衰 shuāi decline

Original meaning: raincoat made from straw or grass

Depicts a woven raincoat (衣) made from either grass or straw. Based on the original meaning "raincoat made from straw or grass", now written as 蓑. The meaning later shifted to "weaken" and "decline".

Components

衣
衣 Iconic component
yī clothes
◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts woven grass or straw.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Western Zhou 1045-771 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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

蓑榱

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttshwoj[s.r̥]ˤruj mourning clothes
tsrhjwe[tsʰ]roj reduce
srwijsruj diminish, decline

說文解字

《說文》：“衰，艸雨衣。秦謂之萆。从衣象形。，古文衰。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.665-666zi.tools
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

轉 zhuǎn, zhuàn turn Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 車 represents the meaning and 專 represents the sound.

Components

車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
專
專 SoundMeaning component
zhuān monopolize

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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

囀

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttrjwenXmə-tronʔ turn around, transfer
trjwenXtronʔ 輾轉 toss and turn ((Ode 1.2, 145.3)

說文解字

《說文》：“轉，運也。从車，專聲。”

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)