Definitions

surname Yu
a moment; little while

Etymology

About

The character "臾" originated from an early pictographic representation of a person in a bent posture, initially conveying notions of bending or carrying. In its present form, the character is structured with the component "臼" at the bottom, while the upper element, though stylized, traces back to that original pictorial idea. Over centuries, the meaning of "臾" narrowed from describing physical actions to specifically denoting a brief interval, as reflected in its enduring role in temporal compounds such as "须臾".

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern