小
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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小 (Kangxi radical 42, 小+0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 弓金 (NC), four-corner 90000, composition ⿻亅八)
Historical forms of the character 小 | ||||
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Shang | Western Zhou | Warring States | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Qin slip script | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
Two possible interpretations:
Starting from some bronze inscriptions, the dots have become elongated. Based on this form, Shuowen erroneously considers it to be an ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 八 (“to divide; to separate”) + 丨 (“small object”).
Compare with 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews), represented by four dots in its oracle bone script form. Unrelated to the bottom part of 京, 示, 尞, 尗, and 原.
Often thought to be related to 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews) (e.g. Wang, 1982), but Schuessler (2007) points out that the alternation between Middle Chinese /s-/ and /ɕ-/ within a word family is exceptional.
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