Definitions

jiàn latch, crossbar

Etymology phono-semantic

wood

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound for a type of structural hardware. It combines the wood radical (mù) on the left, signifying that the object is typically made of wood, with the phonetic component (jiàn) on the right, meaning 'to build' or 'to establish'. Its primary meanings include a wooden peg, door bar, or structural post used to secure barriers, lock gates, or reinforce waterworks. The character also extends to a verb meaning to block or stop up a passage with wooden stakes.

Etymology Hide

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