<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;">時期<br>字體</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">字形</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">參考資料</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="noreferrer">甲</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CCscm.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CCscm.png" alt="" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="noreferrer">甲</a>185<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=19924&amp;jgwfl=" rel="noreferrer">合集19924</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yan_(state)" rel="noreferrer">燕</a><br>古幣</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Lu677.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Lu677.png" alt="昌" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">108<br>古幣文編</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">戰國・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_(Chinese_state)" rel="noreferrer">晉</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_(East_Asia)" rel="noreferrer">璽印</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/6NUup.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6NUup.png" alt="昌" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">959<br>古璽彙編</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty" rel="noreferrer">秦</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="noreferrer">簡</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Z6EUu.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Z6EUu.png" alt="昌" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/QinwenziReference" rel="noreferrer">日甲</a>119<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts" rel="noreferrer">睡虎地秦簡</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="noreferrer">篆</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LtkJ5.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LtkJ5.png" alt="昌" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77390&amp;page=96" rel="noreferrer">日部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="noreferrer">說文解字</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="noreferrer">楷</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/fTyq0.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fTyq0.png" alt="昌" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p>「昌」 (<em>early morning call</em>, e.g. to the day's labour) is comprised of semantic 「<a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=136" rel="noreferrer">日</a>」 (<em>sun</em>) on top of semantic 「<a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=39" rel="noreferrer">口</a>」 (<em>mouth</em>). Such calls would likely be rhythmic or melodious, similar to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugle_call" rel="noreferrer">bugle calls</a>, making the interpretation of 「昌」 as the original form of 「唱」 (<em>to sing</em>).</p>
<p>Later on, 「口」 was slightly shape-corrupted into 「<a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=264" rel="noreferrer">甘</a>」 (<em>mouth</em> 「口」 <em>with a mark inside</em>) or 「<a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=137" rel="noreferrer">曰</a>」 (<em>mouth</em> 「口」 <em>with a mark above</em>). The modern shape inherits 「曰」.</p>
<p><em>Flourish</em> does not appear to have a direct connection to <em>morning call</em>, and should be regarded as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Rebus_(phonetic_loan)_characters" rel="noreferrer">phonetic loan</a>.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>季旭昇《說文新證》</li>
<li><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian" rel="noreferrer">小學堂字形演變</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ctext.org/" rel="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="noreferrer">宋・徐鉉等奉敕校定　漢・許慎《說文解字》</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/" rel="noreferrer">國學大師</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/" rel="noreferrer">郭沫若《甲骨文合集》</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/" rel="noreferrer">中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-15T03:08:39.450Z
2021-01-15T03:14:34.500Z
2021-01-15T03:14:34.500Z
dROOOze
<p>I've been seeing conflicting explanations for this character 昌. Some sources say it comprised of two suns 日, some sources say it comprises of sun and speak 日 meaning flourish, though I don't really see what connection it has to the sun. And then I've seen explanations that it's two 日 speaking mouths, being the original character for sing 唱 and sun is not a component. Which of these is the correct?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-15T01:07:29.937Z
upper 日plus lower 曰。One of the meanings of 昌 is bright. So, it definitely has something to do with sun. Check out this page https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E6%98%8C
joehua
<etymology><glyph-origin><character-components>
Is there any sun 日 in 昌?
# Is there any sun 日 in 昌?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-15)

I've been seeing conflicting explanations for this character 昌. Some sources say it comprised of two suns 日, some sources say it comprises of sun and speak 日 meaning flourish, though I don't really see what connection it has to the sun. And then I've seen explanations that it's two 日 speaking mouths, being the original character for sing 唱 and sun is not a component. Which of these is the correct?

**Tags:** etymology, glyph-origin, character-components

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: upper 日plus lower 曰。One of the meanings of 昌 is bright. So, it definitely has something to do with sun. Check out this page https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E6%98%8C  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-01-15. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

| 時期 字體 | 字形 | 參考資料 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [商](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty) [甲](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script) |  | [甲](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)185 [合集19924](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=19924&jgwfl=) |
| [戰國](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period)・[燕](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yan_(state)) 古幣 | [昌](https://i.sstatic.net/Lu677.png) | 108 古幣文編 |
| 戰國・[晉](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_(Chinese_state)) [璽印](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_(East_Asia)) | [昌](https://i.sstatic.net/6NUup.png) | 959 古璽彙編 |
| [秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty) [簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips) | [昌](https://i.sstatic.net/Z6EUu.png) | [日甲](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/QinwenziReference)119 [睡虎地秦簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts) |
| [篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script) | [昌](https://i.sstatic.net/LtkJ5.png) | [日部](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77390&page=96) [說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi) |
| [楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script) | [昌](https://i.sstatic.net/fTyq0.png) |  |

「昌」 (*early morning call*, e.g. to the day's labour) is comprised of semantic 「[日](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=136)」 (*sun*) on top of semantic 「[口](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=39)」 (*mouth*). Such calls would likely be rhythmic or melodious, similar to [bugle calls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugle_call), making the interpretation of 「昌」 as the original form of 「唱」 (*to sing*).

Later on, 「口」 was slightly shape-corrupted into 「[甘](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=264)」 (*mouth* 「口」 *with a mark inside*) or 「[曰](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=137)」 (*mouth* 「口」 *with a mark above*). The modern shape inherits 「曰」.

*Flourish* does not appear to have a direct connection to *morning call*, and should be regarded as a [phonetic loan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Rebus_(phonetic_loan)_characters).

---

**References:**

* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* [小學堂字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
* [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)
* [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/)


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