<p><strong>Outlier</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>FORM</strong><br />
怎 zěn (also zě) contains 乍 zhà and 心 “heart, mind,” which suggests that its original meaning is a modal particle. 乍 gives the sound.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, yes, in 怎:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>乍 zhà is a sound component.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You will find it plays as similar role in the following characters:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>作</li>
<li>怎</li>
<li>昨</li>
<li>酢</li>
<li>炸</li>
<li>窄</li>
<li>詐</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>———</p>
<p>The only character that you will find where it has any etymological semantic root is 作:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>作 zuò: (orig.) to cut down a tree with a blade (now written 柞); make; work; compose, write; act, perform</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the original sense of the word.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-30T06:40:44.930Z
2022-08-30T06:54:32.510Z
2022-08-30T06:54:32.510Z
Mou某
<p>您好初來乍到！</p>
<p>初來乍到 a newcomer</p>
<p>乍 zhà,zuò
Original meaning 本义: work.<br />
English senses first time, for the first time<br />
(original- 乍作 zuò). Believed to be the stitching of cloths together.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-30T06:37:49.603Z
2022-08-30T06:37:49.603Z
Pedroski
<blockquote>
<p>I assume this to be a phonetic loan.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I don't think so.</p>
<p>乍 -  <strong>会意</strong>。小篆字形，从亡从一。本义:忽然.</p>
<p>又, 乍，暂也。—《广雅》</p>
<p>亦 暫也，初也，忽也，猝也，甫然也。【增韻】</p>
<p>《说文解字》</p>
<ul>
<li><p>止也，一曰亡也。从亡从一。鉏駕切〖注〗徐鍇曰：“出亡得一則止，暫止也。</p>
</li>
<li><p>(乍)止亡䛐也。各本作止也一曰亡也六字，今正。乍無亡義，淺人離析所改耳。補䛐字者，如毋下云止䛐也，亦本有䛐而後人之。乍與毋同意。毋者，有人姦女而一止之，其言曰毋。者，有人逃亡而一止之，其言曰乍。皆咄咄逼人之語也。亡與止亡者皆必在倉猝，故引申爲倉猝之稱。廣雅曰：暫也。</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B9%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B9%8D</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-30T16:41:34.277Z
2022-08-30T16:41:34.277Z
r13
<p>My research has indicated 乍 is related to soil and farming, but I have seen other sources claim it's a collar of a robe. The meaning in English is &quot;suddenly&quot; - I assume this to be a phonetic loan. I'm just so curious as to the original meaning! Any help would be vastly appreciated :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-30T15:00:36.923Z
I looked this up in my copy of "The Way of Chinese Characters". According to the author, 乍 indicates the stitching of a collar, and originally meant "to make" or "to do," with the meanings of "for the first time", "spread," and "abruptly" coming later. It's not an academic text but it seems to suggest that both etymologies have some academic support.
Elchanan Solomon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-07T05:29:41.927Z
Thank you so much!
Adam Todes
<meaning><glyph-origin>
What is the glyph origin of 乍 ( the radical in 怎 )?
# What is the glyph origin of 乍 ( the radical in 怎 )?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-30)

My research has indicated 乍 is related to soil and farming, but I have seen other sources claim it's a collar of a robe. The meaning in English is "suddenly" - I assume this to be a phonetic loan. I'm just so curious as to the original meaning! Any help would be vastly appreciated :)

**Tags:** meaning, glyph-origin

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I looked this up in my copy of "The Way of Chinese Characters". According to the author, 乍 indicates the stitching of a collar, and originally meant "to make" or "to do," with the meanings of "for the first time", "spread," and "abruptly" coming later. It's not an academic text but it seems to suggest that both etymologies have some academic support.  
> **username_0**: Thank you so much!  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-08-30. Score: 3

**Outlier**

> **FORM**  
> 怎 zěn (also zě) contains 乍 zhà and 心 “heart, mind,” which suggests that its original meaning is a modal particle. 乍 gives the sound.

So, yes, in 怎:

> 乍 zhà is a sound component.

You will find it plays as similar role in the following characters:

> * 作
> * 怎
> * 昨
> * 酢
> * 炸
> * 窄
> * 詐

———

The only character that you will find where it has any etymological semantic root is 作:

> 作 zuò: (orig.) to cut down a tree with a blade (now written 柞); make; work; compose, write; act, perform

In the original sense of the word.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-08-30. Score: 0

您好初來乍到！

初來乍到 a newcomer

乍 zhà,zuò
Original meaning 本义: work.  
English senses first time, for the first time  
(original- 乍作 zuò). Believed to be the stitching of cloths together.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-08-30. Score: 0

> I assume this to be a phonetic loan.

I don't think so.

乍 - **会意**。小篆字形，从亡从一。本义:忽然.

又, 乍，暂也。—《广雅》

亦 暫也，初也，忽也，猝也，甫然也。【增韻】

《说文解字》

* 止也，一曰亡也。从亡从一。鉏駕切〖注〗徐鍇曰：“出亡得一則止，暫止也。
* (乍)止亡䛐也。各本作止也一曰亡也六字，今正。乍無亡義，淺人離析所改耳。補䛐字者，如毋下云止䛐也，亦本有䛐而後人之。乍與毋同意。毋者，有人姦女而一止之，其言曰毋。者，有人逃亡而一止之，其言曰乍。皆咄咄逼人之語也。亡與止亡者皆必在倉猝，故引申爲倉猝之稱。廣雅曰：暫也。

<https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B9%8D>


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