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libian

{{Short description|Simplification of Chinese characters in clerical script}}

{{distinguish|Libyan (disambiguation){{!}}Libyan}}

{{More citations needed|date=October 2023}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Multiple image

| total_width = 288

| image1 = 馬-seal.svg

| caption1 = {{nwr|Qin-era seal script}} ({{circa|200 BC}})

| image2 = 馬-clerical-han.svg

| caption2 = {{nwr|Han-era clerical script}} ({{circa|200 AD}})

| footer = Comparison of historical forms for {{nwr|{{zhi|c=馬}} 'horse'}}. The clerical form more closely resembles modern regular script.}}

{{Infobox Chinese

| title = Libian

| t = 隸變

| s = 隶变

| p = lìbiàn

| j = dai6 bin3

| l = clerical change

}}

{{Table Hanzi}}

Libian was a gradual, systematic simplification of Chinese character forms during the 2nd century BC, by which the Chinese writing system transitioned from the seal script character forms promulgated during the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) to the clerical script characters associated with the Han dynasty (202 BC{{snd}}220 AD), through the process of making omissions, additions, or transmutations of the graphical form of a character to make it easier to write. Libian was one of two conversion processes towards the new clerical script character forms, with the other being liding, which involved the regularisation and linearisation of character shapes.

Process

The earlier seal script characters were complicated and inconvenient to write; as a result, lower-level officials and clerics {{zhi|t=隸|p=lì}} gradually simplified the strokes, and transitioned from writing with bowed ink brushes to using straight ink brushes, which both improved ease of writing.

The complexity of characters can be reduced in one of four ways:{{Cite web |title=Learning and Teaching of Chinese Characters |url=https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/curriculum-development/kla/chi-edu/resources/primary/lang/Learning%20and%20Teaching%20of%20Chinese%20Characters_Prof%20Sin.pdf |website=Education Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |language=zh}}

  • Modulation ({{zhi|c=調變}}): The replacement of character components with an unrelated component. For example, the ancient bronze script form of {{zhi|c=射}} 'to shoot arrows' was written as 23px, however the left-side component became replaced with {{zhi|c=身}} 'body' during the transition to clerical script writing.
  • Mutation ({{zhi|c=突變}}): Some characters undergo modulation so suddenly that no clue hinting at the original form can be found in the new form. For example, the transition from the seal script character 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=萅}} 'spring' to the clerical (and by extension, modern) form {{zhi|c=春}} completely drops any hints of the original {{zhi|c=芚}} component, instead replacing it with {{zhi|c=𡗗}} which seemingly has zero basis in relation to the original component.
  • Omission ({{zhi|c=省變}}): The complete omission of a character component. For example, the clerical script form of {{zhi|c=書}} 'to write' (Old Chinese: {{Transliteration|och|*hlja}}) completely omits the phonetic component {{zhi|c=者}} {{Transliteration|och|*tjaːʔ}} at the bottom of the seal script form 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=𦘠}}.
  • Reduction ({{zhi|c=簡變}}): Simplifies character components to a form with fewer strokes. For example, the ancient form of 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=僊}} {{Transliteration|och|*sen}} 'celestial being' had the complex phonetic component {{zhi|c=䙴}} {{Transliteration|och|*sʰen}} simplified into {{zhi|c=山}} {{Transliteration|och|*sreːn}}, creating the clerical form {{zhi|c=仙}}.

One consequence of the libian transition process is that many radicals formed as a result of simplifying complex components within seal script characters—for example, characters containing 'heart' 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=心}} on the side had the component simplified into {{zhi|c=忄}}, as seen in {{zhi|c=情}} and {{zhi|c=恨}}, and these newly-formed radicals are still used in modern-day Chinese writing as the fundamental basis for constructing and sorting Chinese characters.

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|+ Examples of libian

scope="col" style="max-width:9ch" | Gloss

! scope="col" style="width:2ic" | Old

scope="col" style="width:2ic" | New

! scope="col" | Pinyin

scope="col" | Details
scope="row" | year, harvest{{zhi|c=秊}}{{zhi|c=年}}{{Transliteration|zh|nián}}

| style="text-align:left" | Originally 23px {{zhi|c=秂}} in ancient bronze forms, the character was an ideogrammic compound of a man {{zhi|c=人}} carrying grain {{zhi|c=禾}} on his back, e.g. a harvest; {{zhi|c=人}} also functioned as the phonetic marker for {{abbr|OC|Old Chinese}} {{Transliteration|och|*njin}}. After the Western Zhou period, the ancient bronze form had an additional stroke added to {{zhi|c=人}} to give {{zhi|c=千}}, which continued to function as a phonetic marker for {{Transliteration|och|*sn̥ʰiːn}}, creating 23px, forming the basis for the seal script form 23px {{zhi|c=秊}}. After libian simplification, the resulting clerical script form became 23px {{zhi|c=年}}.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01194 A01194]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=年 年]}} }} }}

scope="row" | thunder{{zhi|c=靁}}{{zhi|c=雷}}{{Transliteration|zh|léi}}

| style="text-align:left" | Originally semantic {{zhi|c=雨}} 'rain' + phonetic {{zhi|c=畾}} {{Transliteration|och|*ruːl}}, the bottom component became reduced into {{zhi|c=田}} during libian.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A04472 A04472]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=雷 雷]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to offer for the dead23px{{zhi|c=奠}}{{Transliteration|zh|diàn}}

| style="text-align:left" | Originally a pictogram of an alcohol vessel {{zhi|c=酉}} placed upon a mat {{zhi|c=一}}, two strokes {{zhi|c=八}} were added to later forms to represent overflowing alcohol, and a further two strokes {{zhi|c=八}} were subsequently added to the mat to form a table with two legs {{zhi|c=丌}}. During libian, the {{zhi|c=丌}} mutated into {{zhi|c=大}}, resulting in the clerical form.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00872 A00872]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=奠 奠]}} }} }}

scope="row" | because{{zhi|c=㠯}}{{zhi|c=以}}{{Transliteration|zh|yǐ}}

| style="text-align:left" | Originally a pictogram of a person {{zhi|c=人}} carrying an object, the seal script form 23px was modulated during libian to create the clerical form {{zhi|c=以}}.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00078 A00078]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=以 以]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to obtain{{zhi|c=𢔶}}{{zhi|c=得}}{{Transliteration|zh|dé}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px, the {{zhi|c=貝}} initially simplifies into {{zhi|c=目}} during libian into earlier clerical variants; later variants further corrupt this component into {{zhi|c=旦}}, and this clerical form is inherited by the modern character form.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01291 A01291]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=得 得]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to include{{zhi|c=圅}}{{zhi|c=函}}{{Transliteration|zh|hán}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00327 A00327]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=函 函]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to change{{zhi|c=㪅}}{{zhi|c=更}}{{Transliteration|zh|gèng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px, consisting of phonetic {{zhi|c=丙}} {{Transliteration|och|*pqraŋʔ}} + semantic {{zhi|c=攴}} 'to tap'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01833 A01833]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=更 更]}} }} }}

scope="row" | board game{{zhi|c=棊}}{{zhi|c=棋}}{{Transliteration|zh|qí}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px, consisting of semantic {{zhi|c=木}} 'tree' + phonetic {{zhi|c=其}} {{Transliteration|och|*kɯ}}, {{Transliteration|och|*ɡɯ}}. The {{zhi|c=木}} component was relocated to the left side during libian.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01966 A01966]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=棋 棋]}} }} }}

scope="row" | without{{zhi|c=橆}}{{zhi|c=無}}{{Transliteration|zh|wú}}

| style="text-align:left" | Ancient bronze form 23px originally a pictogram of a man holding two objects in both hands while dancing, the seal script form became 23px. During libian, the {{zhi|c=木}} components were modulated and resulted in the character becoming {{zhi|c=無}}. This character is a phonetic borrowing for 'without', while 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=舞}} consisting of phonetic {{zhi|c=無}} {{Transliteration|och|*ma}} + semantic {{zhi|c=舛}} 'steps' retains the original meaning of 'dance'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A02416 A02416]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=無 無]}} }} }}

scope="row" | thought{{zhi|c=恖}}{{zhi|c=思}}{{Transliteration|zh|sī}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px consisting of phonetic {{zhi|c=囟}} {{Transliteration|och|*snɯns}} + semantic {{zhi|c=心}} 'heart', the {{zhi|c=囟}} component corrupted into the completely unrelated character {{zhi|c=田}} during libian.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01330 A01330]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=思 思]}} }} }}{{sfn|Li|2016}}

scope="row" | forward{{zhi|c=歬}}{{zhi|c=前}}{{Transliteration|zh|qián}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px originally depicting a foot {{zhi|c=止}} on a boat {{zhi|c=舟}} moving forward. During libian, {{zhi|c=止}} was reduced to {{zhi|c=䒑}}, as was {{zhi|c=舟}} to {{zhi|c=月}}. The addition of {{zhi|c=刂}} 'knife' within {{zhi|c=前}} was originally used to represent the meaning of 'to cut' {{Transliteration|och|*ʔslenʔ}}, as seen in 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=𣦃}}{{\}}{{zhi|c=𠝣}}; however, because {{zhi|c=前}} became used to represent {{zhi|c=歬}} instead, an additional {{zhi|c=刀}} 'knife' was added to {{zhi|c=剪}} for the purpose of representing the character for "to cut".{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00355 A00355]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=前 前]}} }} }}

scope="row" | side by side{{zhi|c=竝}}{{zhi|c=並}}{{Transliteration|zh|bìng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px was a duplication of {{zhi|c=立}} 'standing person'; underwent modulation during libian transition.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00018 A00018]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=並 並]}} }} }}

scope="row" | hill{{zhi|c=丠}}{{zhi|c=丘}}{{Transliteration|zh|qiū}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px; compare with 23px representing {{zhi|c=北}} 'north'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00015 A00015]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=丘 丘]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to ascend{{zhi|c=椉}}{{zhi|c=乘}}{{Transliteration|zh|chéng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px originally representing climbing a tree {{zhi|c=木}} with visible feet 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=舛}}, which was later simplified to {{zhi|c=禾}} + {{zhi|c=北}} during {{Transliteration|zh|libian}}.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00037 A00037]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=乘 乘]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to revolve around{{zhi|c=𠄢}}{{zhi|c=亘}}{{Transliteration|zh|xuān}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px consisted of an ideogrammic compound {{zhi|c=二}} 'two' + {{zhi|c=囘}} 'turns'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=N00001 N00001]}} }} }}

scope="row" | fourth earthly branch{{zhi|c=戼}}{{zhi|c=卯}}{{Transliteration|zh|mǎo}}

| style="text-align:left" | Originally depicted a Shang dynasty ritual of splitting a sacrificial body in half, as seen in seal script form 23px.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00448 A00448]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=卯 卯]}} }} }}

scope="row" | death{{zhi|c=𣦸}}{{zhi|c=死}}{{Transliteration|zh|sǐ}}

| style="text-align:left" | Originally an ideogrammic compound consisting of 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=歹}} 'human remains' + 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=人}} 'man', as seen in seal script 23px.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A02077 A02077]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=死 死]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to rid{{zhi|c=㚎}}{{zhi|c=去}}{{Transliteration|zh|qù}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px. Top component simplified to {{zhi|c=土}}, bottom component simplified to {{zhi|c=厶}}. Origin highly contested; Shuowen Jiezi suggests a phono-semantic compound with semantic {{zhi|c=大}} 'man' + phonetic {{zhi|c=𠙴}} {{Transliteration|och|*kʰaʔ}} or {{Transliteration|och|*kʰas}},{{efn-ua|{{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=去 去]}}}} while Axel Schuessler suggests that it depicts an anus beneath a man, representing 'to get rid of'.{{Cite book |last=Schuessler |first=Axel |title=ABC Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese |publisher=University of Hawaiʻi Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-824-82975-9 |location=Honolulu}} Alternate interpretations include a man departing from a cave, lips departing from one another—re-borrowed from {{zhi|c=呿}} 'to open one's mouth', or the {{zhi|c=大}} representing a cover atop an object re-borrowed from {{zhi|c=盍}} 'to cover'.

scope="row" | also23px{{zhi|c=也}}{{Transliteration|zh|yě}}

| style="text-align:left" | The Shuowen Jiezi describes this character as a pictogram of a female vulva. Libian form is significantly simplified from the original shape.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00040 A00040]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=也 也]}} }} }}

scope="row" | summer{{zhi|c=夓}}{{zhi|c=夏}}{{Transliteration|zh|xià}}

| style="text-align:left" | The libian form removes the {{zhi|c=𦥑}} component and the legs of {{zhi|c=頁}} 'head' from the seal script form 23px.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00837 A00837]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=夏 夏]}} }} }}

scope="row" | what{{zhi|c=𠥄}}{{zhi|c=甚}}{{Transliteration|zh|shèn}}, {{Transliteration|zh|shén}}

| style="text-align:left" | The libian form modulates the upper component of the seal script form 23px, originally an ideogrammic compound of {{zhi|c=甘}} + {{zhi|c=匹}}.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A02621 A02621]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=甚 甚]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to live{{zhi|c=𤯓}}{{zhi|c=生}}{{Transliteration|zh|shēng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px represents a sprout {{zhi|c=屮}} emerging from the ground.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A02623 A02623]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=生 生]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to use{{zhi|c=𤰃}}{{zhi|c=用}}{{Transliteration|zh|yòng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px {{Transliteration|och|*loŋs}}; variants {{zhi|c=𠂦}}, {{zhi|c=𤰆}}, {{zhi|c=𠂵}} originally depicted a pictogram of a water bucket; compare with {{zhi|c=桶}} {{Transliteration|och|*l̥ʰoːŋʔ}} 'bucket'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A02627 A02627]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=用 用]}} }} }}

scope="row" | alliance{{zhi|c=𥂗}}{{zhi|c=盟}}{{Transliteration|zh|méng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px, with {{zhi|c=囧}} 'window' simplified to {{zhi|c=日}} 'sun' during libian.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A02749 A02749]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=盟 盟]}} }} }} {{zhi|c=朙}} was an ancient form of {{zhi|c=明}} {{Transliteration|och|*mraŋ}} 'bright'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01784 A01784]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=明 明]}} }} }}

scope="row" | flower{{zhi|c=𠌶}}{{zhi|c=花}}{{Transliteration|zh|huā}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px. The characters {{zhi|c=𠌶}} and {{zhi|c=華}} 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=𦻏}} were originally the same character, however were erroneously split into two separate entries within the Shuowen Jiezi.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A03503-018 A03503-018]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=花 花]}} }} }} {{zhi|c=華}} {{Transliteration|och|*ɡʷraː}} 'to flower' is a derivative of {{zhi|c=𠌶}} {{Transliteration|och|*hʷraː}} 'a flower'.{{efn-ua|{{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=華 華]}}}}

scope="row" | {{blist|display=inline|Malva verticillata|Livistona chinensis|Basella alba}}{{zhi|c=𦮙}}{{zhi|c=葵}}{{Transliteration|zh|kuí}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form {{zhi|c=𦮙}}.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A03522 A03522]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=葵 葵]}} }} }}

scope="row" | west{{zhi|c=㢴}}{{zhi|c=西}}{{Transliteration|zh|xī}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px originally represented a pictogram of a bag or basket, which was then borrowed phonetically to mean 'west'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A03762 A03762]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=西 西]}} }} }}

scope="row" | edge{{zhi|c=𨘢}}{{zhi|c=邊}}{{Transliteration|zh|biān}}

| style="text-align:left" | The earlier bronze inscription form 23px consisted of {{zhi|c=辵}}, {{zhi|c=自}}, {{zhi|c=丙}} and {{zhi|c=方}}; the lower right component within the seal script form 23px is the result of {{zhi|c=方}} becoming corrupted. As the clerical variant later took form, the {{zhi|c=方}} component made a reappearance in texts.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A04196 A04196]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=邊 邊]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to eat{{zhi|c=𠊊}}{{zhi|c=食}}{{Transliteration|zh|shí}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px. The bottom component of the modern libian form is a simplification of {{zhi|c=皀}} 23px 'food vessel', and is not cognate to the unrelated {{zhi|c=良}} 23px or {{zhi|c=艮}} 23px.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A04581 A04581]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=食 食]}} }} }}

scope="row" | fantasy{{zhi|c=𠄔}}{{zhi|c=幻}}{{Transliteration|zh|huàn}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px was originally an inversion of {{zhi|c=予}} 23px 'to give'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01197 A01197]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=幻 幻]}} }} }}

scope="row" | hometownFile:鄉-seal.svg{{zhi|c=鄉}}{{Transliteration|zh|xiāng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Originally an ideogrammic compound consisting of {{zhi|c=𠨍}} 'two people facing each other' + {{zhi|c=皀}} 'food vessel' within bronze inscriptions, representing 'to feast'. During the transition to the seal script form, {{zhi|c=𠨍}} became corrupted into {{zhi|c=𨙨}} and {{zhi|c=邑}} 23px. Following libian simplification, {{zhi|c=邑}} became simplified into the etymologically cognate {{zhi|c=阝}} radical, {{zhi|c=𨙨}} simplified into the unrelated {{zhi|c=乡}} radical—cognate to 23px{{\}}{{zhi|c=幺}}, and {{zhi|c=皀}} was replaced with the unrelated {{zhi|c=良}} component. The meaning of 'hometown' was acquired via phonetic borrowing, while {{zhi|c=饗}} {{Transliteration|och|*qʰaŋʔ}} was adopted to represent 'feast'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A04217 A04217]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=鄉 鄉]}} }} }}

scope="row" | fragrant23px{{zhi|c=香}}{{Transliteration|zh|xiāng}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form consisted of {{zhi|c=黍}} 'proso millet' + {{zhi|c=甘}} 'sweet'; the libian form simplifies {{zhi|c=黍}} into {{zhi|c=禾}} 'cereal plant', and replaces the bottom {{zhi|c=甘}} component with the unrelated character {{zhi|c=曰}} 'to say'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A04616 A04616]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=香 香]}} }} }}

scope="row" | fish{{zhi|c=𤋳}}{{zhi|c=魚}}{{Transliteration|zh|yú}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A04691 A04691]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=魚 魚]}} }} }}

scope="row" | night{{zhi|c=𡖍}}{{zhi|c=夜}}{{Transliteration|zh|yè}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px consisted of phonetic {{zhi|c=亦}} 23px {{Transliteration|och|*laːɡ}} + semantic {{zhi|c=夕}} 23px 'crescent moon'; the bottom-right component of {{zhi|c=夜}} is a corruption of {{zhi|c=夕}} following libian, while the {{zhi|c=亠}} + {{zhi|c=亻}} is a reduction of {{zhi|c=亦}}.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A00843 A00843]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=夜 夜]}} }} }}

scope="row" | stomach23px{{zhi|c=胃}}{{Transliteration|zh|wèi}}

| style="text-align:left" | The pictographic component 23px that visually represented a stomach was simplified into {{zhi|c=田}}.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A03311 A03311]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=胃 胃]}} }} }}

scope="row" | excrement{{zhi|c=𦳊}}{{zhi|c=屎}}{{Transliteration|zh|shǐ}}

| style="text-align:left" | Seal script form 23px consisted of an ideogrammic compound {{zhi|c=艸}} 'grass' + {{zhi|c=胃}} 'stomach'. The form that gained widespread use in literature following the transition to clerical script is based on the bronze script form 23px from the Warring States period.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01086 A01086]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=屎 屎]}} }} }}

scope="row" | to migrate23px{{zhi|c=徙}}{{Transliteration|zh|xǐ}}

| style="text-align:left" | The {{zhi|c=止}} portion of the left {{zhi|c=辵}} component was relocated to the right during libian, resulting in two {{zhi|c=止}} on top of one another, coincidentally becoming unified with the same structure as {{zhi|c=歨}} 23px; the Shang dynasty form of {{zhi|c=步}} 'to walk'.{{efn-ua|{{multiref | {{harvnb|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants|loc=[https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?educode=A01292 A01292]}} | {{harvnb|Multi-function Chinese Character Database|loc=[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=徙 徙]}} }} }}

References

= Citations =

{{Reflist|20em}}

== Example lexemes ==

{{Notelist-ua|colwidth=18em}}

{{Refbegin}}

  • {{Citation |year=2014 |trans-title=Multi-function Chinese Character Database |script-title=zh:漢語多功能字庫 |url=https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk |publisher=Chinese University of Hong Kong |ref={{sfnref|Multi-function Chinese Character Database}} |language=zh}}
  • {{Citation |url=https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw |publisher=Academica Sinica |year=2017 |script-title=zh:異體字字典 |trans-title=Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants |ref={{sfnref|Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants}} |language=zh}}

{{Refend}}

= Works cited =

{{Refbegin}}

  • {{Cite conference |last=Li |first=Shiow-Linn |author-mask=Li Shiow-Linn (李綉玲) |script-title=zh:從隸變看秦簡記號化現象 |url=http://www.fyu.url.tw/cp/27th/27th_P305.pdf |conference=27th International Academic Symposium on Chinese Philology |language=zh |publisher=Feng Chia University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229081645/http://www.fyu.url.tw/cp/27th/27th_P305.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2020 |year=2016|url-status=dead}}
  • {{Citation |last=Li |first=Shiow-Linn |volume=25 |pages=41–88 |year=2017 |author-mask=3 |trans-title=A Comparative Analysis of the Form and Structure of the Characters in the Qin Bamboo Slip Manuscripts and Zhangjiashan Bamboo Slips – With the Phenomena of “Complication,” “Simplification,” and “Differentiation” as the Foci of Examination |script-title=zh:秦簡牘和《張家山漢簡》文字構形比較析論──以秦簡牘「簡化」、「繁化」及「異化」 |url=http://www.fyu.url.tw/cp/27th/27th_P305.pdf |language=zh |issn=1819-4427 |script-journal=zh:漢學研究集刊第}}

{{Refend}}

Category:Chinese script style