yì
service
Original meaning:
to command
Depicts a person (亻) being controlled by a weapon (殳). Based on the original meaning "to command". The meaning later shifted to "servant" and "service".
Components
Evolution

Oracle script
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze script
Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal script
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical script
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)Regular script
ModernDefinitions
yì
service; a servant, laborer; to serve; forced labor; corvée; obligatory task; military service; to use as servant; to enserf; servant (old); war; campaign; battle
Most common words with 役
Freq. | Word | Meaning |
---|---|---|
military campaign | ||
to demobilize | ||
to serve in the army | ||
corvée | ||
to enslave |
Component uses
Sound component in 1 character (1 verified)
Remnant component in 1 character (1 verified)
Sources