order, sequence

Original meaning: 

walls at side of palace

Phonosemantic compound. 广 represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "walls at side of palace". The meaning later shifted to "order" and "sequence".

Components
广 meaning component

广  Meaning component

yǎnguǎng

  

roof

予 sound component

  Sound component

  

give

Evolution

序 Bronze script Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Bronze script

Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
序 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
序 Clerical script Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Clerical script

Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
序 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

series, serial order, sequence; order; sequence; preface

Most common words with 序
Freq.
Word
Meaning

程序

procedures

秩序

order (orderly)

顺序

sequence

order

序列

sequence