羲 - Dong Chinese dictionary

xī

ancient emperor

sacrificial slaughter

Mainly used in oracle bone place names, and bronze inscription personal names. Depiction of animal sacrifice. The original form of 犧 (sacrifice).

Components

yì

justice

Originally just 我 (saw-toothed dagger axe) in oracle bone script, later phoneticized in bronze script by adding a 羊 (sheep).

xī

exclamatory particle

Originally this may have depicted a decapitated 豕(pig), now signifies the "breath", "gas", or "vapor" meanings.

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

xī

ancient emperor; breath, vapor

Xī

same as Fuxi 伏羲[FúXī], a mythical emperor; surname Xi

Most common words with 羲

Freq.	Word	Meaning
	伏羲	Fuxi or Fu Hsi, legendary Chinese emperor, trad. 2852-2738 BC, mythical creator of fishing, trapping and writing
	王羲之	Wang Xizhi (303-361), famous calligrapher of Eastern Jin, known as the sage of calligraphy 書聖\|书圣
	羲	surname Xi
	黄宗羲	Huang Zongxi (1610-1695), scholar and writer of the Ming-Qing transition
	伏羲氏	Fuxi or Fu Hsi, legendary Chinese emperor 2852-2738 BC, mythical creator of fishing, trapping, and writing