lì​shǔ

subordinate

subservient Simplified

Original meaning: catch from behind

Depicts a hand () grabbing a tail () from behind. Based on the original meaning "catch from behind", now written as . In simplified Chinese is also used to mean "subservient", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character .

Components

Iconic component
yòu hand
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Iconic component
wěi tail

Derived from the pictographic form of (tail).

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 3 verified)

Meaning (2)

Iconic (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdojHm-rˤəp-s reach to

說文解字

《說文》:“隶,及也。从又,从省。又持者,从後及之也。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.221-222
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

shǔ class Simplified

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

Components

Meaning component
wěi tail
Simplified component
insect; proper name

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangtjoɡ
djoɡ

說文解字

《說文》:“屬,連也。从尾,蜀聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

subservient Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the sound and represents the meaning.

Components

Sound component
nài crab-apple tree
Change in sound
Meaning component
subservient

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Warring States 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 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-SagartlejH[r]ˤə[p]-s subordinate

說文解字

《說文》:“隸,附箸也。从隶,柰聲。,篆文隸从古文之體。”

Sources

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

shǔ class, category Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
wěi tail
Sound component
shǔ short name for Sichuan

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzyowkN-tok be attached to
tsyowktok attach (v.t.)

說文解字

《說文》:“屬,連也。从尾,蜀聲。”

Sources

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