xī
hope
Original meaning:
type of cloth
Composed of 爻 (cross shape) and 巾 (cloth). 爻 is here used to depict the pattern of the cloth. Originally depicted a type of cloth. The meaning later shifted to "sparse", "rare", and "hope".
Components
Evolution

Clerical script
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical script
Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)Regular script
ModernMost common words with 希
Freq. | Word | Meaning |
---|---|---|
to wish for | ||
to hope | ||
Greece | ||
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) | ||
hopeful |
Sources
黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.2866