系列
xì​liè HSK4

series

系 xì, xi, jì system

Pictograph of a hand (又) holding a group of threads (糸) that are connected together (系).

Components

又
又 Iconic component
yòu hand

Depicts a hand.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 又 than it was in ancient scripts.
糸
糸 Iconic component
mì, sī silk

Depicts a group of threads.


Character Evolution

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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Meaning (1 of 3 verified)

繇纛孫

Iconic (2)

縣係

Deleted (1)

县

Sound (1)

係

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthejH[m]-kˤek-s bind (v.)

說文解字

《說文》：“系，繫也。从糸，丿聲。，系或从、處。，籀文系从爪、絲。”

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)

列 liè arrange

Original meaning: break apart

歹 depicts a wooden post with a cracked bottom and 刂 depicts a knife. Both used to convey the original meaning "break apart". 歹 also represents the sound. The meaning later shifted to "arrange in order" and "list".

Components

歹
歹 SoundIconic component
dǎi, è, dāi evil, bad

Depicts a wooden post with a cracked bottom.

Change in sound
刂
刂 Iconic component
dāo knife

刂 is a component form of 刀.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Jin 266-420 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 7 verified)

例烈裂咧洌冽趔

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartljet[r][e]t tear apart; rank

說文解字

《說文》：“列，分解也。从刀，聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.355
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)