ní​hóng​dēng

neon light

rainbow

The child  of a rain cloud 

Components

Meaning component
rain
Meaning component
r, ér son

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangŋeː
ŋeːs
ŋeː
Unicodengei

說文解字

屈虹,青赤,或白色,陰气也。从雨兒聲。

Sources

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

hóng, hòng, gòng rainbow

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Originally was a pictograph of a creature, with two heads on each end, that resembled a rainbow.

Components

Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
Sound component
gōng work

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthuwngm-kˤoŋ rainbow
kaewngHkˤroŋ-s rainbow

說文解字

《說文》:“虹,螮蝀也。狀似蟲。从虫,工聲。《明堂》、《月令》曰:‘虹始見。’”

Sources

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

dēng lantern Simplified

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

Components

Meaning component
huǒ fire
Sound component
dīng cubes

Sources

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

dēng lantern Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
huǒ fire
Sound component
dēng rise

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttongk-tˤəŋ lamp

Sources

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