Definitions

kǎi armor

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "铠", meaning armor, originates from its traditional form "鎧", which is structured with the metal radical "金" indicating the material of the protection and the component "豈" serving as a phonetic element. This composition directly associates the character with metal body armor used historically in warfare. In its simplified form, the metal radical is abbreviated to "钅" and the phonetic component to "岂", resulting in "铠". Throughout its usage, the character has consistently denoted protective gear made of metal, and while its primary reference remains to military armor, it also appears in modern compounds relating to protective covering.

Etymology Hide

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