<p>「缺」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baxter-Sagart OC</a>: <strong>/*Nə-[k]ʷʰˤet/</strong>, <em>to damage/break vessels</em> [pots, dishes, urns, etc.] &gt; <em>flawed, deficient, lacking</em>) is comprised of semantic 「缶」 (<em>clay jar</em>) and phonetic 「夬」 (<strong>/*[k]ʷˤret-s/</strong>). That is, the phonetic component 「夬」 originally matched the pronunciation of 「缺」 much better, and this match occasionally survives in other characters like 「決」.</p>
<p>「夬」 itself now sounds much more like 「快」.</p>
<hr />
<blockquote>
<p>I don't understand what &quot;夬叏&quot; is</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Confusing annotation by <em>Hanziyuan</em> #1: Randomly listing variant characters with absolutely no explanation.</p>
<p>「叏」 is the component-transcribed older form of 「夬」.</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IRncn.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IRncn.png" alt="" /></a><br><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">前</a>4.1.2<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=21367&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集21367</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/Chu_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楚</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3AhBo.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3AhBo.png" alt="" /></a><br>2.260<br>包山竹簡</kbd><kbd>戰國・楚<br>簡<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5tKDy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5tKDy.png" alt="叏" /></a><br>2.2<br>望山竹簡</kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">秦</a><br>簡<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7LIfi.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7LIfi.png" alt="叏" /></a><br>18.158<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">睡虎地秦簡</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">西漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GRfoM.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GRfoM.png" alt="叏" /></a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching#Mawangdui_and_Guodian_texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">老子・甲</a>43<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawangdui_Silk_Texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">馬王堆帛書</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9A%B6%E5%AE%9A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸定</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/D6OPQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/D6OPQ.png" alt="叏" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>「叏」 originally depicted <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=20" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a <em>hand</em> 「又」</a> sporting a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumb_ring" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>thumb ring</em></a> (the archery accessory). The <em>thumb</em> was later emphasised as a vertical line and then detached to be part of the ring.</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">東漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/zBjoI.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zBjoI.png" alt="夬" /></a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching" rel="nofollow noreferrer">易經</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiping_Stone_Classics" rel="nofollow noreferrer">熹平石經</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZbumQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZbumQ.png" alt="夬" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>Later on, the hand merged back with the emphasised thumb, but the middle finger of the hand became less emphasised and obscured, forming 「夬」.</p>
<hr />
<blockquote>
<p>what does &quot;phonetic-foot-hand&quot; mean</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Confusing annotation by <em>Hanziyuan</em> #2: Attempting to list a meaning alongside a component whose purpose is phonetic, and also getting the meaning wrong through a misunderstanding of the decomposition.</p>
<p><em>Foot-hand</em> is what <em>Hanziyuan</em> thinks the meaning of 「叏」 is, and <em>phonetic</em> indicates that 「叏」 is the phonetic component of 「缺」. The interpretation of 「叏」 as <em>foot-hand</em> comes from an incorrect decomposition of 「叏」 as <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=26670" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「夊」 (<em>foot</em>)</a> and 「又」 (<em>hand</em>).</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="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂字形演變</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">郭沫若《甲骨文合集》</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-29T20:42:54.860Z
2020-11-29T22:44:58.740Z
2020-11-29T22:44:58.740Z
dROOOze
<p><a href="https://hanziyuan.net/#%E7%BC%BA" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://hanziyuan.net/#%E7%BC%BA</a></p>
<p>Scrolling down to the &quot;Character decomposition 字形分解&quot; section, we see</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Compound 缺 <br />
from container 缶 fǒu and<br />
phonetic foot-hand 夬叏 guài.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I don't understand what &quot;夬叏&quot; is. It seems <a href="https://dict.naver.com/linedict/zhendict/#/cnen/entry/bd8a4345072442fab0f2272a572e373a" rel="nofollow noreferrer">from LINE Dict</a> that they mean the same thing, but regardless of their meaning, it's supposed to be a phonetic component according to the <a href="https://dixin.github.io/Etymology/decomposition-of-chinese-character" rel="nofollow noreferrer">explanatory page</a>. But how could it be a phonetic component if they're pronounced &quot;guài&quot; and 缺 is pronounced &quot;que&quot;? It doesn't seem that the alternate pronunciation on that page is similar either. So, what does &quot;phonetic-foot-hand&quot; mean, and why is &quot;guài&quot; the phonetic component?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-29T19:39:42.880Z
**Do not** use *Hanziyuan* - the website has an impressive collection of glyphs that are, unfortunately, very confusingly and poorly annotated and categorised. The correct annotation and categorisation of glyphs are as important for learning as the glyphs themselves. Sometimes, trying to explain *Hanziyuan*'s confusing annotations take as much effort as explaining the character itself.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-29T19:56:01.510Z
What are some good alternatives that are similarly accessible?
explicitEllipticGroupAction
<character-components>
Explanation of character decomposition for 缺
# Explanation of character decomposition for 缺

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-29)

<https://hanziyuan.net/#%E7%BC%BA>

Scrolling down to the "Character decomposition 字形分解" section, we see

> Compound 缺   
> from container 缶 fǒu and  
> phonetic foot-hand 夬叏 guài.

I don't understand what "夬叏" is. It seems [from LINE Dict](https://dict.naver.com/linedict/zhendict/#/cnen/entry/bd8a4345072442fab0f2272a572e373a) that they mean the same thing, but regardless of their meaning, it's supposed to be a phonetic component according to the [explanatory page](https://dixin.github.io/Etymology/decomposition-of-chinese-character). But how could it be a phonetic component if they're pronounced "guài" and 缺 is pronounced "que"? It doesn't seem that the alternate pronunciation on that page is similar either. So, what does "phonetic-foot-hand" mean, and why is "guài" the phonetic component?

**Tags:** character-components

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: **Do not** use *Hanziyuan* - the website has an impressive collection of glyphs that are, unfortunately, very confusingly and poorly annotated and categorised. The correct annotation and categorisation of glyphs are as important for learning as the glyphs themselves. Sometimes, trying to explain *Hanziyuan*'s confusing annotations take as much effort as explaining the character itself.  
> **username_0**: What are some good alternatives that are similarly accessible?  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-11-29. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

「缺」 ([Baxter-Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)): **/\*Nə-[k]ʷʰˤet/**, *to damage/break vessels* [pots, dishes, urns, etc.] > *flawed, deficient, lacking*) is comprised of semantic 「缶」 (*clay jar*) and phonetic 「夬」 (**/\*[k]ʷˤret-s/**). That is, the phonetic component 「夬」 originally matched the pronunciation of 「缺」 much better, and this match occasionally survives in other characters like 「決」.

「夬」 itself now sounds much more like 「快」.

---

> I don't understand what "夬叏" is

Confusing annotation by *Hanziyuan* #1: Randomly listing variant characters with absolutely no explanation.

「叏」 is the component-transcribed older form of 「夬」.

`商  
甲  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/IRncn.png)  
前4.1.2  
合集21367``戰國・楚  
簡  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/3AhBo.png)  
2.260  
包山竹簡``戰國・楚  
簡  
![叏](https://i.sstatic.net/5tKDy.png)  
2.2  
望山竹簡``秦  
簡  
![叏](https://i.sstatic.net/7LIfi.png)  
18.158  
睡虎地秦簡``西漢  
隸  
![叏](https://i.sstatic.net/GRfoM.png)  
老子・甲43  
馬王堆帛書` `隸定  
![叏](https://i.sstatic.net/D6OPQ.png)`

「叏」 originally depicted [a *hand* 「又」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=20) sporting a [*thumb ring*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumb_ring) (the archery accessory). The *thumb* was later emphasised as a vertical line and then detached to be part of the ring.

`東漢  
隸  
![夬](https://i.sstatic.net/zBjoI.png)  
易經  
熹平石經` `楷  
![夬](https://i.sstatic.net/ZbumQ.png)`

Later on, the hand merged back with the emphasised thumb, but the middle finger of the hand became less emphasised and obscured, forming 「夬」.

---

> what does "phonetic-foot-hand" mean

Confusing annotation by *Hanziyuan* #2: Attempting to list a meaning alongside a component whose purpose is phonetic, and also getting the meaning wrong through a misunderstanding of the decomposition.

*Foot-hand* is what *Hanziyuan* thinks the meaning of 「叏」 is, and *phonetic* indicates that 「叏」 is the phonetic component of 「缺」. The interpretation of 「叏」 as *foot-hand* comes from an incorrect decomposition of 「叏」 as [「夊」 (*foot*)](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=26670) and 「又」 (*hand*).

---

**References:**

* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* [小學堂字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
* [郭沫若《甲骨文合集》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/)


---

