<p>「丸」has more to do with「夗」than it does with「九」.</p>

<p>「丸」is a derivative character of「夗」.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-15T14:52:54.773Z
These questions are difficult to demonstrate the answer to without pictures, aren't they :p
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-15T15:11:13.750Z
@dROOOze I'm sure you could write up a much better answer than this one.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-15T14:49:01.243Z
2020-04-15T14:49:01.243Z
Mou某
<p>「九」 and 「丸」 are not related. As @user3306356 points out, 「丸」 is probably related to 「夗」.</p>
<hr />
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">商朝</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲骨文</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/87Gm9.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/87Gm9.png" alt="九" /></a><br><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">菁</a>2.1<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=6057&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集6057</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou" rel="nofollow noreferrer">西周</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">金文</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/6zvVO.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6zvVO.png" alt="九" /></a><br>作冊夨令簋<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4300&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成4300</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_(Chinese_state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">晉</a><br>金文<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PvCEe.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PvCEe.png" alt="九" /></a><br>東周左壺<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=9640&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成9640</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小篆</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xFoq9.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xFoq9.png" alt="九" /></a><br><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77392&amp;page=93" rel="nofollow noreferrer">九部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">說文解字</a></kbd><kbd>今<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷書</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/BIxj7.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/BIxj7.png" alt="九" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>「九」 depicts an arm showing the hand, a bent wrist, and <em>elbow</em>, indicating the original meaning <em>elbow</em>. This word is now written as 「肘」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baxter-Sagart OC</a>: <strong>/*t-[k]&lt;r&gt;uʔ/</strong>).</p>
<p>The meaning <em>nine</em> (<strong>/*[k]uʔ/</strong>) for 「九」 is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Rebus_(phonetic_loan)_characters" rel="nofollow noreferrer">phonetic loan</a>.</p>
<hr />
<p>「丸」 is derived from 「夗」.</p>
<p>「夗」 (<strong>/*[ʔ]o[r]ʔ/</strong>) was originally a <em>picture of an animal or person curled up in a foetal position</em>, extended to mean <em>twisting and turning in bed</em> and then <em>crooked, winding</em> (now written 「宛」).</p>
<p>「夗」 or its derivatives later started being used for different senses. 「丸」 (<strong>/*[ɢ]ʷˤar/</strong>) was corrupted from 「夗」 to specifically represent the sense <em>curl up and roll</em> &gt; <em>ball, round object</em>.</p>
<p>The glyph evolution and corruption process is as follows:</p>
<p><kbd>商朝<br>甲骨文<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/an3XA.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/an3XA.png" alt="夗" /></a><br>1799<br>殷虛文字乙</kbd><kbd><br>楷書<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tMZLX.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tMZLX.png" alt="夗" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p><kbd>西周<br>金文<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/m0k2y.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/m0k2y.png" alt="⿱夗口" /></a><br>能匋尊<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=5984&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成5984</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9A%B6%E5%AE%9A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸定文字</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/wcJWU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wcJWU.png" alt="⿱夗口" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p><kbd>西周<br>金文<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/FPOeI.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/FPOeI.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br>仲義父鼎<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2542&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成2542</a></kbd><kbd><br>隸定文字<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/z6eq4.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/z6eq4.png" alt="⿱宀⿱夗口" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p><kbd><br>小篆<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Ua9zM.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Ua9zM.png" alt="丸" /></a><br><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77391&amp;page=56" rel="nofollow noreferrer">丸部</a><br>說文解字</kbd></p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(266%E2%80%93420)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">晉朝</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_carving" rel="nofollow noreferrer">篆刻</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sLzZu.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sLzZu.png" alt="丸" /></a><br>晉烏丸率善<br>篆刻大字典</kbd></p>
<p><kbd>今<br>楷書<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tPXwr.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tPXwr.png" alt="丸" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>季旭昇《說文新證》</li>
<li><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂</a></li>
<li><a href="https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">漢語多功能字庫</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">國學大師</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">郭沫若《甲骨文合集》</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="https://ctext.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中國哲學書電子化計劃</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;res=77351" rel="nofollow noreferrer">宋・徐鉉等奉敕校定　漢・許慎《說文解字》</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-15T16:50:41.143Z
2020-08-20T02:08:49.507Z
2020-08-20T02:08:49.507Z
dROOOze
<p>I just learned the character 丸 and naturally noticed that it is similar to 九 with the additional 点.</p>

<p>Is there any interesting connection between these two characters or is it just a random coincidence ? </p>

<characters><etymology><glyph-origin>
Is there any connection between the choice of characters for 九 and 丸?
# Is there any connection between the choice of characters for 九 and 丸?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-15)

I just learned the character 丸 and naturally noticed that it is similar to 九 with the additional 点.

Is there any interesting connection between these two characters or is it just a random coincidence ?

**Tags:** characters, etymology, glyph-origin


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-15. Score: 17 | Accepted answer

「九」 and 「丸」 are not related. As @user3306356 points out, 「丸」 is probably related to 「夗」.

---

`商朝  
甲骨文  
![九](https://i.sstatic.net/87Gm9.png)  
菁2.1  
合集6057``西周  
金文  
![九](https://i.sstatic.net/6zvVO.png)  
作冊夨令簋  
集成4300``戰國・晉  
金文  
![九](https://i.sstatic.net/PvCEe.png)  
東周左壺  
集成9640` `小篆  
![九](https://i.sstatic.net/xFoq9.png)  
九部  
說文解字``今  
楷書  
![九](https://i.sstatic.net/BIxj7.png)`

「九」 depicts an arm showing the hand, a bent wrist, and *elbow*, indicating the original meaning *elbow*. This word is now written as 「肘」 ([Baxter-Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)): **/\*t-[k]uʔ/**).

The meaning *nine* (**/\*[k]uʔ/**) for 「九」 is a [phonetic loan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Rebus_(phonetic_loan)_characters).

---

「丸」 is derived from 「夗」.

「夗」 (**/\*[ʔ]o[r]ʔ/**) was originally a *picture of an animal or person curled up in a foetal position*, extended to mean *twisting and turning in bed* and then *crooked, winding* (now written 「宛」).

「夗」 or its derivatives later started being used for different senses. 「丸」 (**/\*[ɢ]ʷˤar/**) was corrupted from 「夗」 to specifically represent the sense *curl up and roll* > *ball, round object*.

The glyph evolution and corruption process is as follows:

`商朝  
甲骨文  
![夗](https://i.sstatic.net/an3XA.png)  
1799  
殷虛文字乙` `楷書  
![夗](https://i.sstatic.net/tMZLX.png)`

`西周  
金文  
![⿱夗口](https://i.sstatic.net/m0k2y.png)  
能匋尊  
集成5984` `隸定文字  
![⿱夗口](https://i.sstatic.net/wcJWU.png)`

`西周  
金文  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/FPOeI.png)  
仲義父鼎  
集成2542` `隸定文字  
![⿱宀⿱夗口](https://i.sstatic.net/z6eq4.png)`

`小篆  
![丸](https://i.sstatic.net/Ua9zM.png)  
丸部  
說文解字`

`晉朝  
篆刻  
![丸](https://i.sstatic.net/sLzZu.png)  
晉烏丸率善  
篆刻大字典`

`今  
楷書  
![丸](https://i.sstatic.net/tPXwr.png)`

---

**References:**

* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* [小學堂](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
* [漢語多功能字庫](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/)
* [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
  + [郭沫若《甲骨文合集》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/)
  + [中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/)
* [中國哲學書電子化計劃](https://ctext.org/)
  + [宋・徐鉉等奉敕校定　漢・許慎《說文解字》](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&res=77351)


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-04-15. Score: 4

「丸」has more to do with「夗」than it does with「九」.

「丸」is a derivative character of「夗」.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: These questions are difficult to demonstrate the answer to without pictures, aren't they :p  
> **username_1**: @username_2 I'm sure you could write up a much better answer than this one.  

---

