<p>first of all, <strong>don’t fixated on regular script (楷書)</strong>, read and think on bronze script or seal script; please.</p>
<p>look at the <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%9F%A9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">components semantic tree (部件樹):</a></p>
<p>矩 is 大 + 人 + 工</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/vAm7V.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vAm7V.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/AqF2t.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/AqF2t.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>in the same page, the 漢語多功能字庫 stated clearly that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>後來「大」形與「工」形分開，「大」(人形)的手部與「工」相連，形成「巨」字形</p>
</blockquote>
<p>roughly, the “大” separated from “工”, only the “手” is connect to “工”; which make the character “巨”</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KGjfM.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KGjfM.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>this picture shown such separation :)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>巨 has lost the left hand side of 工, and so naturally the radical appears to be &quot;匚&quot;.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Baidu (obviously not authoritative) and Pleco say it's 匚</p>
</blockquote>
<p>only in regular script, that 巨 would appear belong to radical 匚 (radical 22), or 匸 (radical 23).</p>
<p>巨 in bronze script:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IjUtU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IjUtU.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>巨 in seal script:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xDwvJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xDwvJ.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/1jjp5.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/1jjp5.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>these three clearly shown the “工“ in the character “巨”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Is there a fairly authoritative, widely accepted source on which radical 巨 falls under?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>as droooze said, the authoritative dictionary is 康熙字典</p>
<p>another one using 540 radicals is 說文解字. you may guess it, “巨” is in volume 5, (工, radical 147)</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/C3l38.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/C3l38.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>last, authoritative resources for etymology:</p>
<p><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">漢語多功能字庫</a></p>
<p><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂</a></p>
<p>use the 漢語多功能字庫 first, compare the “pictures” of different scripts. <strong>read</strong> the etymologies (形義通解); these’re experts’ explanations in one place.</p>
<p>imo, it’s enough for novices, even advance users.</p>
<p>if one need a bigger pictures of characters in particular scripts, shift to 小學堂</p>
<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T15:20:32.260Z
@droooze , edited :) btw, don’t you think there’re more questions about etymology recently?
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T15:24:48.887Z
Lots of questions recently, but mostly from one person. Some of them are actually really fun questions, but would take too long for me to compile a bunch of convincing research :(
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T15:28:19.207Z
@droooze , yes, like a toddler asking about philosophy, astronomy or biology 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T15:33:06.753Z
It's never too late to learn something challenging! I couldn't read any seals or 先秦 writings when I first joined this site, but that was just under 3 years ago
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T15:40:28.737Z
@droooze 工多藝熟，斯之謂也 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T15:12:42.677Z
2020-09-04T15:18:44.373Z
2020-09-04T15:18:44.373Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>Since radicals are dictionary headers, &quot;what is the radical of X&quot; is dependent on the dictionary you're looking at.</p>
<p>The most internationally-agreed-upon dictionary radicals for Chinese characters would be the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Dictionary" rel="noreferrer">Kangxi Dictionary</a>, which lists it under 「工」. Thankfully, most dictionaries have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_radical" rel="noreferrer">sets of radicals which are derived from the Kangxi list</a>, and most dictionaries are in agreement with Kangxi's classification.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/6x19O.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6x19O.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>My edition of Pleco doesn't list the radical as 「匚」.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CQdBnm.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CQdBnm.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T11:21:27.380Z
2020-09-04T11:21:27.380Z
dROOOze
<p>In <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/34152/4709">this question</a>, we can clearly see the origin of 巨 is 矩, which is originally formed from 工 + 大 (corrupted into 矢). However, nowadays 巨 has lost the left hand side of 工, and so naturally the radical appears to be &quot;匚&quot;.</p>
<p>Some dictionaries list 巨 as having <code>工</code>, and some as <code>匚</code> radical. For example, Hanping (using CC-EDICT) says it's 工, but Baidu (obviously not authoritative) and Pleco say it's 匚. Even some native speakers I talked to cannot agree whether it's 工 or 匚, and some say they were taught that it is 匚 very early in education.</p>
<p>Is there a fairly authoritative, widely accepted source on which radical 巨 falls under?</p>

<radicals>
Is the official radical for 巨 “工” or “匚”?
# Is the official radical for 巨 “工” or “匚”?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-04)

In [this question](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/34152/4709), we can clearly see the origin of 巨 is 矩, which is originally formed from 工 + 大 (corrupted into 矢). However, nowadays 巨 has lost the left hand side of 工, and so naturally the radical appears to be "匚".

Some dictionaries list 巨 as having `工`, and some as `匚` radical. For example, Hanping (using CC-EDICT) says it's 工, but Baidu (obviously not authoritative) and Pleco say it's 匚. Even some native speakers I talked to cannot agree whether it's 工 or 匚, and some say they were taught that it is 匚 very early in education.

Is there a fairly authoritative, widely accepted source on which radical 巨 falls under?

**Tags:** radicals


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-09-04. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Since radicals are dictionary headers, "what is the radical of X" is dependent on the dictionary you're looking at.

The most internationally-agreed-upon dictionary radicals for Chinese characters would be the [Kangxi Dictionary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Dictionary), which lists it under 「工」. Thankfully, most dictionaries have [sets of radicals which are derived from the Kangxi list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_radical), and most dictionaries are in agreement with Kangxi's classification.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/6x19O.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/6x19O.jpg)

---

My edition of Pleco doesn't list the radical as 「匚」.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/CQdBnm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/CQdBnm.png)


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-04. Score: 2

first of all, **don’t fixated on regular script (楷書)**, read and think on bronze script or seal script; please.

look at the [components semantic tree (部件樹):](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%9F%A9)

矩 is 大 + 人 + 工

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/vAm7V.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/vAm7V.png)[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/AqF2t.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/AqF2t.png)

in the same page, the 漢語多功能字庫 stated clearly that

> 後來「大」形與「工」形分開，「大」(人形)的手部與「工」相連，形成「巨」字形

roughly, the “大” separated from “工”, only the “手” is connect to “工”; which make the character “巨”

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/KGjfM.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/KGjfM.png)

this picture shown such separation :)

> 巨 has lost the left hand side of 工, and so naturally the radical appears to be "匚".

> Baidu (obviously not authoritative) and Pleco say it's 匚

only in regular script, that 巨 would appear belong to radical 匚 (radical 22), or 匸 (radical 23).

巨 in bronze script:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/IjUtU.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/IjUtU.png)

巨 in seal script:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/xDwvJ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/xDwvJ.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/1jjp5.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/1jjp5.png)

these three clearly shown the “工“ in the character “巨”

> Is there a fairly authoritative, widely accepted source on which radical 巨 falls under?

as username_2 said, the authoritative dictionary is 康熙字典

another one using 540 radicals is 說文解字. you may guess it, “巨” is in volume 5, (工, radical 147)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/C3l38.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/C3l38.jpg)

last, authoritative resources for etymology:

[漢語多功能字庫](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/)

[小學堂](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)

use the 漢語多功能字庫 first, compare the “pictures” of different scripts. **read** the etymologies (形義通解); these’re experts’ explanations in one place.

imo, it’s enough for novices, even advance users.

if one need a bigger pictures of characters in particular scripts, shift to 小學堂

have fun :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @username_2 , edited :) btw, don’t you think there’re more questions about etymology recently?  
> **username_2**: Lots of questions recently, but mostly from one person. Some of them are actually really fun questions, but would take too long for me to compile a bunch of convincing research :(  
> **username_1**: @username_2 , yes, like a toddler asking about philosophy, astronomy or biology   
> **username_2**: It's never too late to learn something challenging! I couldn't read any seals or 先秦 writings when I first joined this site, but that was just under 3 years ago  
> **username_1**: @username_2 工多藝熟，斯之謂也   

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