Depicts raw silk (糸) hanging from a rack.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | suH | [s]ˤak-s | white silk |
說文解字
《說文》：“素，白緻繒也。从糸、，取其澤也。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p.891-892
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)
Simplified
Original meaning: rub between fingers
Depicts grain (來) being rolled between the fingers in the left hand (左). Based on the original meaning "rub between fingers", now written as 搓. The meaning later shifted to "uneven" and "error".
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | tsrhae | tsʰraj | distinction; to select |
| tsrhea | [tsʰ]raj | distinction; to select | |
| tsrheaj | [tsʰ](ˤ)raj | distinction; to select | |
| tsrhje | tsʰraj | 參差 uneven | |
| tsha | [tsʰ]ˤaj | rub, polish, file (v.) |
說文解字
貳也。差不相值也。从左从𠂹。
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)
Traditional
Original meaning: pledge, pawn
Phonosemantic compound. 斦 represents the sound and 貝 represents the meaning.
Components
Character Evolution
Component uses
Historical Pronunciations
| Middle Chinese | Old Chinese | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter-Sagart | trijH | [t]<r>ip-s | hostage; gift |
| tsyit | t-lit | substance, solid part |
說文解字
《說文》：“質，以物相贅，从貝，从斦。闕。”
Sources
- Character origin
- 季旭昇《說文新證》p. 522
- Readings & variants
- Unicode
- Historical pronunciations
- Baxter-Sagart
- Historical images
- Academia Sinica
- Etymology
- Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)