cái​tài

downsize

cái cut out

To cut  cloth 

Components

𢦏
𢦏 SoundMeaning component
zāi to cut
Meaning component
clothes

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzoj[dz]ˤə cut out clothes

說文解字

《說文》:“裁,制衣也。从衣,聲。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

tài excessive

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

is a component form of .

Sound component
tài, tai very

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdajHlˤa[t]-swave
Zhengzhangtʰaːds
Unicodetɑ̀i

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang