Definitions

diāo sable or marten (genus Martes)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound designating the marten or sable, valued for their luxurious fur. The left side, , is a radical that categorizes beasts, particularly predatory mammals with long backs and a crawling gait. The right side, , is the phonetic component indicating the pronunciation diāo. Because sable fur was historically a luxury commodity and a symbol of aristocratic status, frequently appears in literary and historical contexts associated with wealth, official headgear, and fine fur garments.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern