zhèng​nú

certificate slave

zhèng proof Simplified

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

Components

Meaning component
yán speech

is a component form of .

Sound component
zhèng, zheng, zhēng correct

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

slave

Depicts a hand () behind a woman () slave's back forcing her to work.

Components

SoundIconic component
nǚ, nü woman

Depicts a woman slave. Also serves as a phonetic component.

Iconic component
yòu hand

Depicts a hand forcing a slave to do work.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
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
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (3 of 10 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartnunˤa slave

說文解字

《說文》:“奴,奴、婢,皆古之辠人也。《周禮》曰:‘其奴,男子入于辠隸,女子入于舂藁。’从女,从又。,古文奴,从人。”

Sources

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

proof Traditional

Original meaning: to admonish

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
yán speech
Sound component
dēng rise

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsyingHtəŋ-s testify, prove

說文解字

《說文》:“證,告也。从言,登聲。”

Sources

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