guài

parted, decisive

Original meaning: 

thumb ring

Depicts a hand with a thumb ring used for archery to protect the archer's thumb when pulling back on the bowstring. Based on the original meaning "thumb ring". The meaning later shifted to "decisive" and "parted".

Components
◎ iconic component

  Iconic component

  

characterless component

Depicts a thumb ring.

又 iconic component

  Iconic component

yòu

  

(hand), again

Depicts a hand.

Evolution

夬 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
夬 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

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

Clerical script

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

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

guài

parted; fork; certain; decisive

Component uses

Meaning component in 3 characters (0 verified)

Sound component in 12 characters (5 verified)

Historical pronunciation

Old Chinese

Middle Chinese

Pinyin

Gloss

*[k]ʷˤret-s

kwaejH

guài

divide, make a breach


Statistics

Not found in HSK word list

Miscellaneous

Strokes

4

Unicode

U+592C

Shuowen

“夬,分決也。从又;,象決形。”


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