shēng

sacrificial animal

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
牛 meaning component

  Meaning component

niú

  

cow

生 sound component

  Sound component

shēng

  

life

Evolution

牲 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
牲 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
牲 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

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

Clerical script

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

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

shēng

sacrificial animal; animal; domestic animal

Most common words with 牲
Freq.
Word
Meaning

牺牲

to sacrifice one's life

牲畜

livestock

domestic animal

牺牲品

sacrificial victim

牲口

beast of burden