<p><sub>Dislcaimer: The interpretations of the glyph forms and OC reconstructions are my personal opinion. <em>Professional opinions</em> state that this character is still open for interpretation.</sub></p>

<p><kbd>商<br>甲<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/pkJ5Q.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/pkJ5Q.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>甲1249<br>合集31219</kbd><kbd>西周<br>金<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xkADU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xkADU.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>大克鼎<br>集成2836</kbd><kbd>春秋<br>金<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bBV8d.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bBV8d.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>公克敦<br>集成4641</kbd><kbd>今<br>楷<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SaXbj.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SaXbj.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>

<p>I guess you can view「克」(Baxter-Sagart OC: <strong>/*kʰˤək/</strong>, <em>to achieve victory over/subdue/defeat an opponent in a military confrontation</em>), as being a merger between semantic「由」(<em>battle helmet</em>, now written as「冑」) and reduced phonetic「革」(<strong>/*kˤrək/</strong>). The graphically reduced「革」looks like「⿱廿尸」or「⿱口尸」(<em>picture of animal skin and horns</em>).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Specifically, the bottom part of「由」is merged with the top part of the reduced「革」.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For reference:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>「由」</p>

<p><kbd>商<br>甲<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Eo3xa.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Eo3xa.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>甲2123<br>合集557</kbd><kbd>戰國・楚<br>簡帛<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/iFp7H.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/iFp7H.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>六德・19<br>郭店楚簡</kbd><kbd>今<br>楷<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PSPiq.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PSPiq.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br><br>　</kbd></p></li>
<li><p>「皮」(<em>skinning an animal</em>)</p>

<p><kbd>西周<br>金<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/8LiHv.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8LiHv.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>九年衛鼎<br>集成2831</kbd><kbd>秦<br>簡<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/XSbzZ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XSbzZ.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>秦律十八7<br>睡虎地秦簡</kbd><kbd>西漢<br>隸<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3u0NJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3u0NJ.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>孫臏・220<br>銀雀山漢簡<br></kbd><kbd>今<br>楷<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/iyXT2.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/iyXT2.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br><br>　</kbd></p></li>
<li><p>「革」(<em>picture of flattened animal skin</em>). Roughly speaking,「⿱廿尸」or「⿱口尸」is「革」folded in half along the animal's spine.</p>

<p><kbd>商<br>甲<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5xPDK.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5xPDK.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>花東474<br>　</kbd><kbd>西周<br>金<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kUM8s.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kUM8s.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>康鼎<br>集成2786</kbd><kbd>戰國・楚<br>簡帛<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/UaNa4.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/UaNa4.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>遣策<br>天星觀楚簡</kbd><kbd>秦<br>簡<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/V49sl.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/V49sl.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>秦律雜抄16<br>睡虎地秦簡</kbd><kbd>今<br>楷<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KtUWl.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KtUWl.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br><br>　</kbd></p></li>
</ul>

<hr>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-20T14:08:25.267Z
That's what I miss about the Outlier Dictionary sometimes. What you did was corroborating the ideas. The dictionary saying "it's a helmet with an animal skin" was not enough. You just drew every single part and now I'm totally convinced that it really is (even if it's wrong) a helmet fused with the skin. Thank you!
Enrico Brasil
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-15T02:57:35.277Z
2019-09-15T03:10:22.647Z
2019-09-15T03:10:22.647Z
dROOOze
<p><em>Outlier</em> writes:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>克 depicts a battle helmet (now written 古) and an animal skin (now written 儿). It was used in bronze inscriptions to mean “to defeat.” </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Their reference is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>季旭昇，2004《說文新證》，台北：藝文印書館印行，2014年9月二版。p. 237</p>
</blockquote>

<p>And they also give the ancient form of the character:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/OXdrJ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OXdrJ.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-13T14:19:28.247Z
Yeah, I have that dictionary. But sometimes I think the explanation is too shallow.
Enrico Brasil
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-13T13:39:44.397Z
2019-09-13T13:39:44.397Z
Mou某
<p>I've looked around and one place says it's from the skin of an animal, another one says it's an axe striking a beast and another one says it's a battle helmet with an animal skin.</p>

<p>So what's the story behind it and it's relation to the meaning today?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<etymology><glyph-origin>
What is the glyph origin of 克?
# What is the glyph origin of 克?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-13)

I've looked around and one place says it's from the skin of an animal, another one says it's an axe striking a beast and another one says it's a battle helmet with an animal skin.

So what's the story behind it and it's relation to the meaning today?

Thanks!

**Tags:** etymology, glyph-origin


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-09-15. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Dislcaimer: The interpretations of the glyph forms and OC reconstructions are my personal opinion. *Professional opinions* state that this character is still open for interpretation.

`商  
甲  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/pkJ5Q.png)  
甲1249  
合集31219``西周  
金  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/xkADU.png)  
大克鼎  
集成2836``春秋  
金  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/bBV8d.png)  
公克敦  
集成4641``今  
楷  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/SaXbj.png)`

I guess you can view「克」(Baxter-Sagart OC: **/\*kʰˤək/**, *to achieve victory over/subdue/defeat an opponent in a military confrontation*), as being a merger between semantic「由」(*battle helmet*, now written as「冑」) and reduced phonetic「革」(**/\*kˤrək/**). The graphically reduced「革」looks like「⿱廿尸」or「⿱口尸」(*picture of animal skin and horns*).

> Specifically, the bottom part of「由」is merged with the top part of the reduced「革」.

For reference:

* 「由」

  `商  
  甲  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Eo3xa.png)  
  甲2123  
  合集557``戰國・楚  
  簡帛  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/iFp7H.png)  
  六德・19  
  郭店楚簡``今  
  楷  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/PSPiq.png)`
* 「皮」(*skinning an animal*)

  `西周  
  金  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/8LiHv.png)  
  九年衛鼎  
  集成2831``秦  
  簡  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/XSbzZ.png)  
  秦律十八7  
  睡虎地秦簡``西漢  
  隸  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/3u0NJ.png)  
  孫臏・220  
  銀雀山漢簡``今  
  楷  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/iyXT2.png)`
* 「革」(*picture of flattened animal skin*). Roughly speaking,「⿱廿尸」or「⿱口尸」is「革」folded in half along the animal's spine.

  `商  
  甲  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5xPDK.png)  
  花東474``西周  
  金  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kUM8s.png)  
  康鼎  
  集成2786``戰國・楚  
  簡帛  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/UaNa4.png)  
  遣策  
  天星觀楚簡``秦  
  簡  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/V49sl.png)  
  秦律雜抄16  
  睡虎地秦簡``今  
  楷  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/KtUWl.png)`

---

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That's what I miss about the Outlier Dictionary sometimes. What you did was corroborating the ideas. The dictionary saying "it's a helmet with an animal skin" was not enough. You just drew every single part and now I'm totally convinced that it really is (even if it's wrong) a helmet fused with the skin. Thank you!  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-09-13. Score: 1

*Outlier* writes:

> 克 depicts a battle helmet (now written 古) and an animal skin (now written 儿). It was used in bronze inscriptions to mean “to defeat.”

Their reference is:

> 季旭昇，2004《說文新證》，台北：藝文印書館印行，2014年9月二版。p. 237

And they also give the ancient form of the character:

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/OXdrJ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/OXdrJ.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Yeah, I have that dictionary. But sometimes I think the explanation is too shallow.  

---

