Definitions

shí a chicken roost

Etymology phono-semantic

earth

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(traditional ) is a phono-semantic compound that designates a roost or coop for housing chickens and domesticated poultry. Its semantic component is the earth radical on the left, indicating that these avian enclosures were traditionally constructed with packed earth, mud, or clay walls in agricultural settings. The phonetic element on the right is (traditional ), providing the pronunciation shí without semantic contribution. The character appears chiefly in classical Chinese poetry and rural literature, evoking pastoral scenes, and refers precisely to this type of earthen agricultural structure.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern