temple

Original meaning: 

to hold

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "to hold", now written as . The current meaning "temple" is a phonetic loan.

Components
寸 meaning component

  Meaning component

cùn

  

(hand), inch

Depicts a hand.

之 sound component

  Sound component

zhī

  

[attributive particle]

Evolution

寺 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
寺 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
寺 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
寺 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

court, office; temple, monastery; Buddhist temple; mosque; government office (old)

Most common words with 寺
Freq.
Word
Meaning

mosque

寺庙

temple

清真寺

mosque

寺院

cloister

少林寺

Shaolin Temple, Buddhist monastery famous for its kung fu monks

Component uses

Sound component in 11 characters (7 verified)