辨
biàn HSK7

distinguish

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approved by Prismcool · Oct 2, 2023, 05:08 AM · Reviewed by Prismcool on Oct 2, 2023, 05:08 AM

Added etymology.

Changed fields: hint, originalMeaning, isVerified, components, customSources, strokeDataSimp, fragmentsSimp, historicalImages

Original meaning: to cut into two parts

刂 (knife) added between two 辛 (chisel) components or 辡 conveying the original meaning "to cut into two parts". The meaning has shifted over time and now means "distinguish". 辛 also provides the sound.

Components

辡
辡 SoundIconic component

Here used to depict an object being cut into a part. 辡 also gives the sound.

刂
刂 Iconic component

Depicts a knife.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartbjenX[b]renʔ distinguish

說文解字

《說文》:“辦,判也。从刀,辡聲。”

Sources

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