Dong Chinese dictionary

jiù

just

Original meaning:

high place

Phonosemantic compound. 京 represents the meaning and 尤 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "high place". The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "achieve".

Components

京 Meaning component

jīng

capital city

京 hints at the original meaning of 就, "high place", which is no longer the most common meaning of 就 in modern Mandarin.

尤 Sound component

yóu

especially

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

就

jiù

just, simply; to come, go to; to approach, near; at once; right away; only; just (emphasis); as early as; already; as soon as; then; in that case; as many as; even if; to approach; to move towards; to undertake; to engage in; to suffer; subjected to; to accomplish; to take advantage of; to go with (of foods); with regard to; concerning

Most common words with 就