Definitions

jié stone tablet

Etymology phono-semantic

stone

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(jié) is a phono-semantic compound formed by the semantic radical ('stone, mineral') on the left and the phonetic component (hé) on the right. Historically, the character designates a specific kind of round, upright stone tablet, or stele, that was typically carved with commemorative or historical inscriptions and set up in public places or burial grounds. Beyond this primary meaning, classical geographic literature occasionally employs the character to describe steep, prominent rock formations or solitary rocky peaks standing out in a landscape, though it always remains tied to the idea of significant stone structures.

Etymology Hide

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