help, aid, cross a river

Original meaning: 

[name of river]

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
氵 meaning component

  Meaning component

shuishuǐ

  

water

is a component form of .

齊 sound component

  Sound component

  

even, uniform

Evolution

濟 Bronze script Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Bronze script

Late Warring States (~250 BC)
濟 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

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

Clerical script

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

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

to help, aid, relieve; to ferry, cross; to cross a river; to aid or relieve; to be of help

() 

used in place names associated with the Ji River 濟水|济水[Jǐ​Shuǐ]; surname Ji

() 

only used in 濟濟|济济[jǐ​jǐ]

Most common words with 濟
Freq.
Word
Meaning

经济

economy

救济

emergency relief

to cross a river

市场经济

market economy

无济于事

to no avail