yàn​guān

customs inspection

yàn test Simplified

Original meaning: type of horse

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "type of horse". The current meaning is a phonetic loan. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
horse
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "type of horse", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
qiān together

Sources

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

guān to close Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and 𢇇 represents the sound. The simplified character was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character . The traditional component was removed for simplification.

Components

Deleted component
mén, men door

The traditional component was removed for simplification.

𢇇
guān to run threads through a web in weaving

Shorthand for the 𢇇 component in the traditional character .

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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Simplified (1 of 2 verified)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical images
Academia Sinica

yàn test Traditional

Original meaning: type of horse

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "type of horse". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Meaning component
horse
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "type of horse", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
together

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngjemHm-qʰr[a]m-s verify

說文解字

《說文》:“驗,馬名。从馬,僉聲。”

Sources

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

guān to close Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and 𢇇 represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
mén, men door
𢇇
𢇇 Sound component
guān to run threads through a web in weaving

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Warring States 475-221 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Warring States ~300 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkwaen[k]ˤro[n] barrier
kwaen[k]ˤro[n] 關關 kwaen.kwaen [bird’s cry]
kwaenkˤro[n] 間關 sound of a chariot's linchpin (Ode 218.1)

說文解字

《說文》:“關,以木橫持門戶也。从門,聲。”

Sources

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