懂中文 Dong Chinese

牵

qiān

drag

Depicts a person (人) leading an ox (牛) by the nose (自). 人 was later reanalyzed as 大.

Components
大 iconic component

大  Iconic component

dà, dài

  

big

Depicts a person. Later reanalyzed as 大.

自 iconic component

自  Iconic component

zì

  

self

牛 iconic component

牛  Iconic component

niú

  

cow

Evolution

牵 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

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

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
牵 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
牵 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

牵 (牽) 

qiān

drag, pull, lead by hand; to lead along; to pull (an animal on a tether); (bound form) to involve; to draw in

Most common words with 牵
Freq.
Word
Meaning

牵

to lead along

牵扯

to involve

牵涉

to involve

牵连

to implicate

牵挂

to worry about

Sources

季旭昇《說文新證》p.93-94

林志強《《文源》評注》p.312