麻将牌
má​jiàng​pái

mahjong tile

麻 má, ma hemp

Depicts hemp leaves (𣏟) growing under a cliff (厂). The cliff (厂) component was later written as 广.

Components

厂
厂 Iconic component
chǎng cliff, (roof)

Depicts a cliff.

𣏟
𣏟 Iconic component
pài hemp

Depicts hemp leaves.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Xin 9-23 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (5 of 8 verified)

摩魔磨嘛麽靡糜麼

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

縻

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartmaeC.mˤraj hemp

說文解字

《說文》：“麻，與同。人所治，在屋下。从广，从。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.585-586
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

将 jiāng, jiàng will Simplified

Simplified form of 將. Depicts a hand (寸) taking a piece of meat (肉). 爿 is a sound component.

Components

丬
丬 Sound component
qiáng piece of wood

丬 is a component form of 爿.

肉
肉 Iconic component
ròu meat
寸
寸 Iconic component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Depicts a hand.

Component uses

Sound (4 of 6 verified)

蒋奖浆桨酱锵

Remnant (4)

奖浆桨酱

Sources

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

牌 pái signboard

Phonosemantic compound. 片 represents the meaning and 卑 represents the sound.

Components

片
片 Meaning component
piàn, piān slice
卑
卑 Sound component
bēi humble, inferior

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangbreː
breː

Sources

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

將 jiāng, jiàng take Traditional

Depicts a hand (寸) taking a piece of meat (肉). 爿 is a sound component.

Components

爿
爿 Sound component
pán, qiáng piece of wood
肉
肉 Iconic component
ròu meat
寸
寸 Iconic component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Depicts a hand.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (4 of 6 verified)

蔣蹡漿醬槳獎

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsjang[ts]aŋ bring
tsjangH[ts]aŋ-s lead (v.); leader

說文解字

《說文》：“將，帥也。从寸，省聲。”

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)