退格键
tuì​gé​jiàn

backspace

退 tuì retreat

Original meaning: take away a sacrificial offering

Depicts moving (辶) a sacrificial grain offering (簋) away. Based on the original meaning "take away a sacrificial offering". The meaning later shifted to "withdraw" and "retreat".

Components

辶
辶 Meaning component
chuò walk

辶 is a component form of 辵.

簋
簋 MeaningRemnant component
guǐ container for sacrificial grain

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

腿褪

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

褪煺

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartthwojHn̥ˤ[u]p-s withdraw (≠ advance)

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.129-130
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

格 gé, ge pattern, frame

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 各 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
各
各 Sound component
gè each

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Jin 266-420 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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkaekkˤrak go to

說文解字

《說文》：“格，木長皃。从木，各聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

键 jiàn key, bolt Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 建 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鍵.

Components

钅
钅 Meaning component
jīn metal

钅 is a component form of 金.

建
建 Sound component
jiàn build

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

鍵 jiàn key, bolt Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 釒 represents the meaning and 建 represents the sound.

Components

釒
釒 Meaning component
jīn metal
建
建 Sound component
jiàn build

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangɡran
ɡranʔ
ɡanʔ

說文解字

《說文》：“鍵，鉉也。一曰車轄。从金，建聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)