guī​ju​zhǔn​shéng

measuring tools

guī rules Simplified

Original meaning: compass; a kind of drawing tool

Simplified form of . Depicts a kind of drawing tool for drawing circles with. The (see) component was later added to suggest watching something being drawn. Based on the original meaning "compass; a kind of drawing tool", now written as . The meaning has shifted over time and now means "rules".

Components

Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts a compass or a kind of drawing tool. Modern form looks like unrelated .

Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

ju carpenter's square

Depicts a person (/) holding a tool (). also represents the sound.

Components

Iconic component
fu, fū man

Depicts a person. Modern form looks like .

SoundIconic component
large

Depicts a carpenter's square.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkjuX[k]ʷ(r)aʔ carpenter's square

說文解字

《說文》:“巨,規巨也。从工,象手持之。榘,巨或从木、矢,矢者,其中正也。,古文巨。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.383黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.1388-1389
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

zhǔn accurate Simplified

Original meaning: water-level

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "water-level", a tool to check the flatness of surfaces. The meaning later shifted to "accurate", "rule", and "approve".

Components

Simplified component
bīng ice

Shorthand for the (water) component in the traditional character .

Simplified component
zhuī, cuī, wéi bird

Shorthand for the (sǔn) component in the traditional character .

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangqʷjinʔ

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

shéng, sheng rope Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
miǎn, měng, mǐn toad

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

guī rules Traditional

Original meaning: compass; a kind of drawing tool

Depicts a kind of drawing tool for drawing circles with. The (see) component was later added to suggest watching something being drawn. Based on the original meaning "compass; a kind of drawing tool", now written as . The meaning has shifted over time and now means "rules".

Components

Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts a compass or a kind of drawing tool. Modern form looks like unrelated .

Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkjwiekʷe compass, circle

說文解字

《說文》:“規,有法度也。从夫,从見。”

Sources

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

accurate Traditional

Original meaning: water-level

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "water-level", a tool to check the flatness of surfaces. The meaning later shifted to "accurate", "rule", and "approve".

Components

Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

is a component form of .

Sound component
sǔn falcon

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsywinXturʔ water-level

說文解字

《說文》:“準,平也。从水,隼聲。”

Sources

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

shéng, sheng rope Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
toad, frog

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartzyingCə-m.rəŋstring, cord
Zhengzhangɦbljɯŋ
Unicodejhiəng

說文解字

索也。从糸,蠅省聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica