Definitions

yíng surname Ying
yíng old variant of 贏|赢[yíng], to win, to profit; old variant of 盈[yíng], full

Etymology

About

is used almost exclusively as an ancient surname, most notably the royal name of the Qin state and the subsequent Qin dynasty. It is a phono-semantic compound: the female radical at the base points to the matrilineal origins of many early surnames, while the upper and central portions form a complex phonetic indicator. Unlike visually similar characters conveying profit or abundance, it has had a highly restricted use throughout history, appearing mainly in historical texts, genealogical records, and archaeological discussions about the lineage of Qin Shi Huang and the era's nobility.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Spring and Autumn (771-476 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Wu (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern