nài​chuān

durable

nài endure

Original meaning: make the head bald as punishment

Pictograph of a beard () being removed from the face by a hand (). Based on the original meaning "make the head bald as punishment", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "tolerate" and "endure".

Components

SoundIconic component
ér and

Depicts a beard.

Change in sound
Iconic component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Depicts a hand.


Character Evolution

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 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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnojHnˤə-s endure

說文解字

《說文》:“耏,罪不至髡也。从而,从彡。耐,或从寸。諸法度字从寸。”

Sources

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

穿 chuān wear

Original meaning: bore a hole

Alludes to creating a hole () with one's teeth (). Based on the original meaning "bore a hole". The meaning later expanded to "pass through" and "wear".

Components

Meaning component
xué, jué cave
Meaning component
tooth

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsyhwentʰo[n] bore through

說文解字

《說文》:“穿,通也。从牙在穴中。”

Sources

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