dǎi
evil, bad
Original meaning:
cracked wooden post
Variant of 歺. Pictograph of a wooden post or digging tool with a cracked bottom. Similar to 才 and 弋. The meaning later shifted to "bad" and "evil".
Evolution

Oracle script
(~1250-1000 BC)
Seal script
Shuowen (~100 AD)Regular script
ModernDefinitions
Component uses
Meaning component in 27 characters (5 verified)
Sound component in 1 character (1 verified)
Unknown component in 1 character (0 verified)
Distinguishing component in 1 character (0 verified)
Sources
季旭昇《說文新證》p.333
