Xiāo'ēn

Sean

xiào look like

Original meaning: decrease, disappear

Depicts the moon () getting smaller () and disappearing as part of the lunar cycle. Based on the original meaning "decrease, disappear", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "resemble; similar".

Components

SoundMeaning component
xiǎo small
Meaning component
yuè, yue moon

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (4 of 25 verified)

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsjew[s]ew disappear
sjewH[s]ew-s resemble

說文解字

《說文》:“肖,骨肉相似也。从肉,小聲。不似其先故曰不肖也。”

Sources

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

ēn kindness

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
xīn, xin heart
Sound component
yīn cause

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 3 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagart'onʔˤə[n] kindness, favor

說文解字

《說文》:“恩,惠也。从心,因聲。”

Sources

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