Definitions

surname Ke
(literary) branch; stem; stalk; (literary) ax handle

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 柯 is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the semantic component 木, indicating its relation to wood, and the phonetic component 可, which guides its pronunciation. Its original meaning was an axe handle or a substantial tree branch, a concrete reference derived directly from its structural parts. Over time, the term's application widened to encompass other botanical features such as stalks and stems, while in certain classical literary contexts it took on metaphorical connotations of a rule or standard, possibly influenced by the controlling function of a handle. In modern usage, the character retains its original form and is most frequently found in proper nouns like surnames and toponyms, with its earlier literal senses seeing less common employment outside specialized or historical references.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

先生今天来了。

Kē xiānshēng jīntiān lái le.

Mr. Ke came today.

这只基很可爱。

Zhè zhī kējī hěn kě'ài.

This Corgi is very cute.

南是一个聪明的侦探。

Kē nán shì yī gè cōngmíng de zhēntàn.

Conan is a smart detective.

院子里种了一棵树。

Yuànzi lǐ zhòng le yī kē kē shù.

An evergreen oak was planted in the yard.

叔叔送给我一只基犬。

Kē shūshu sòng gěi wǒ yī zhī kējī quǎn.

Uncle Ke gave me a Corgi dog.

南在图书馆仔细地查资料。

Kē nán zài túshūguǎn zǐxì de chá zīliào.

Conan is carefully looking up information in the library.

如果先生同意,我们就开始计划。

Rúguǒ Kē xiānshēng tóngyì, wǒmen jiù kāishǐ jìhuà.

If Mr. Ke agrees, we will start planning.

尔克孜族的文化传统非常丰富。

Kē ěr kè zī zú de wénhuà chuántǒng fēichāng fēngfù.

The cultural traditions of the Kyrgyz people are very rich.