guài
parted
Original meaning:
thumb ring
Depicts a hand (又) wearing a thumb ring. Thumb rings are typically used for archery to protect the archer's thumb when pulling back on the bowstring. Based on the original meaning "thumb ring". The meaning later shifted to "parted".
Components
Evolution

Oracle script
(~1250-1000 BC)
Seal script
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical script
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)Regular script
ModernDefinitions
Component uses
Historical pronunciation
Old Chinese | Middle Chinese | Pinyin | Gloss |
*[k]ʷˤret-s | kwaejH | guài | divide, make a breach |
Statistics
Not found in HSK word list
Miscellaneous
Strokes | 4 |
Unicode | U+592C |
Shuowen | “夬,分決也。从又;,象決形。” |
Sources
季旭昇《說文新證》p.203-204
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