<p>A few points to start off:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Characters are not made up of <em>radicals</em> (which are strictly dictionary section headers); elements of characters which give meaning are called <em>semantic components</em>.</p>
</li>
<li><p>The phonetic part of 「漢」 is currently written as 「⿱廿⿻口夫」.</p>
<p><kbd><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/FJDEU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/FJDEU.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>For brevity, this character will be referred to as 「」, but note that 「」 is actually a Japanese shape, with 「艹」 and not 「廿」 on the top, and writing it this way is <strong>incorrect</strong> in Chinese.</p>
</li>
<li><p><em>Chinese Etymology</em> is wrong - there is no 「堇」 in 「漢」, and no 「難」 in 「漢」. This statement probably comes from older literature now known to be incorrect;  both 「堇」 and 「難」 contain phonetic 「」, but most older dictionaries do not contain a definition of 「」, and so may make up character composition definitions based on circular logic.</p>
</li>
<li><p>「難」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baxter-Sagart OC</a>: <strong>/*nˤar/</strong>) did not originally sound like 「南」 (<strong>/*nˤ[ə]m/</strong>), so the name <em>Nanzheng</em> (南鄭) is not relevant.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h3>Meaning of 「漢」</h3>
<p>「漢」 indeed originally was the name of a river. From the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Spring and Autumn Period</a> artefact 《敬事天王鐘》（《殷周金文集成》７３、７４）:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ispyh.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ispyh.png" alt="《殷周金文集成》７３" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ANbsT.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ANbsT.png" alt="《殷周金文集成》７4" /></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>隹（唯）王㱏（正）月初吉（庚）（申）// (...) （自）（作）永（詠）命（鈴），（其）// ⿵⿶⿱冖月頁（眉）（壽）（無）疆，（敬）事天 // 王，（至）于父⿰兄⿱土（兄），㠯（以）樂（君）// 子，江漢（之）陰陽，// 百歲外，㠯大行。<p>
'Tis the day of <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%BA%9A%E7%94%B3#Chinese" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>gēngshēn</em></a> of the first week of the first month of the King's reign<sup>*</sup>, (...)<sup>†</sup> self-cast this ceremonial bell. Wishing for boundless longevity, respectfully serving the King and the Elders, letting the noblemen rejoice, across both sides of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangtze" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Yangtze</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_River_(Hubei)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hàn</a> Rivers; and beyond one's years, with this bell, setting off on the Grand Journey<sup>‡</sup>.<p></p>
<p><sub><sup>*</sup>This timekeeping record isn't necessarily from the <em>start</em> of the King's reign.</sub><br>
<sub><sup>†</sup>Inscription is faded out; this is expected to be someone's name.</sub><br>
<sub><sup>‡</sup>Refers to the journey to/in the afterlife (death).</sub></p>
</blockquote>
<p>「漢」 was not originally associated with <em>Chinese</em> civilisation or ethnicity; rather, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Gaozu_of_Han#King_of_Han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the first emperor of the Hàn Dynasty decided to name the dynasty after the river</a>, simultaneously causing the entire unified nation to adopt the name of the 「漢」 ethnic group which originally resided around the river. Chinese civilisation, if it could be said to have a beginning, would have originated around <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhongyuan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zhōngyuán</a> (中原) rather than the Hàn River, and it is 「中原」 which gave rise to the name 「中或」 (<em>central regions</em>) &gt;「中國」 (<em>Middle Kingdom</em>).</p>
<p>As one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history, the adoption of the name 「漢」 eventually caused most long-standing notions of tribal boundaries and ethnic groups which have persisted all the way from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Shāng Dynasty</a> to fade away, such that 「漢」 is now synonymous with <em>Chinese</em>.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Phonetic component of 「漢」</h3>
<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="nofollow noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ArJ0o.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ArJ0o.png" alt="" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">鐵</a>17.1<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=12524&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集12524</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou" rel="nofollow noreferrer">西周</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">金</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4Qv1u.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4Qv1u.png" alt="" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">堇鼎<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2703&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成2703</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_(Chinese_state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">晉</a><br>金</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Ecxct.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Ecxct.png" alt="難" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">「難」<br>中山王謱鼎<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2840&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成2840</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">戰國・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">秦</a><br>金</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DPjfJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DPjfJ.png" alt="" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">「堇」<br>漢中守戈<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=11367&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成11367</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><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></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LhEZX.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LhEZX.png" alt="漢" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">「漢」<br>屯戍9.4<br><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%B5%81%E6%B2%99%E5%A2%9C%E7%B0%A1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">流沙墜簡</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dkoJT.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dkoJT.png" alt="" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p>「」 is made up of <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=2923" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「黑」 (<em>picture of a person with criminal facial tattoos</em>)</a> with the addition of an <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=39" rel="nofollow noreferrer">exaggeratedly-drawn mouth 「口」</a> on top, depicting a <em>sighing criminal</em>, indicating related meanings of <em>bearing hardship, suffering</em> (now written 艱、難), <em>to sigh (e.g. out of grief, lamentation, suffering, or desperation)</em> (now written 嘆), and <em>punishment</em> (e.g. 熯, <em>punishment by fire</em>).</p>
<p>The bottom portion of 「」 was often corrupted into 「火」 or 「炎」, leading to extra marks in today's shape which causes the bottom of 「」 to look like 「夫」.</p>
<p>In addition to its meaning role, 「黑」 <em>may also</em> serve as a phonetic hint for 「」, but generally, characters should only be decomposed at a surface level, and so it is inappropriate to decompose 「」 to see what kind of hints the resulting components provide to 「漢」.</p>
<p>Please note that 「」 merely plays a phonetic role in 「漢」, not a semantic (meaning) role.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">漢語多功能字庫</a></li>
<li>季旭昇《說文新證》</li>
<li>何琳儀《戰國古文字典：戰國文字聲系》</li>
<li><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/variants" rel="nofollow noreferrer">異體字表</a></li>
<li><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian" rel="nofollow noreferrer">字形演變</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">國學大師</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">郭沫若《甲骨文合集》</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/" rel="nofollow 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
2020-12-30T09:53:52.667Z
In *Chinese History: A New Manual*, Endymion Wilkinson  also notes that, "Nearly all the names of dynasties (guohao 國號) and polities up to and including the Han 漢 were taken from place names. Between the fall of the Han and the establishment of the Liao 遼 in the tenth century, these same names were used for dynasties over and over again."
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T10:29:21.550Z
@Mo. Indeed! I was careful to say: ***most** long-standing notions...fade away*. Even where nationalism has long-sinced waned, the names of their associated old Zhou-era vassal territories have continued to hold a degree of prestige, which is why Emperors commonly have granted titles like *Prince of XX*.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T14:45:17.753Z
I wasn't trying to add any corrections. I just came across Wilkinson's quote while looking up this question and though it was relevant. I figured it tacked on nicely at the end of your answer.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T15:11:53.827Z
dROOOze - I very much appreciate all the information you have presented. This is exactly the kind of detailed explanation I was looking for. Linquistics, history, - your answer has it all! Thank you for your time and efforts.
MikeLangStudent
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T15:12:14.027Z
Mo - thanks for your helpful comment as well.
MikeLangStudent
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T09:43:01.740Z
2020-12-30T11:47:41.067Z
2020-12-30T11:47:41.067Z
dROOOze
<p>It appears that this character consists of <strong>a meaning part and a sound part</strong>: a <strong>water radical</strong> (i.e. section header for water in Kangxi dictionary) for meaning, and the <strong>character  for sound</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Radical - Meaning Element</strong></p>
<p>If the <strong>original &quot;meaning&quot; part of this character</strong> was meant to concern water, what does that have to do with <strong>Han people, culture, civilization</strong>, etc.? Is this possibly related to the original Han civilization beginning in a river location?</p>
<p><strong>Sound Element</strong></p>
<p>If <strong>口 and 夫</strong> can be considered <strong>decomposition components of </strong>, did either play a role in giving the sound hàn?</p>
<p><a href="https://hanziyuan.net/#%E6%BC%A2" rel="noreferrer">Chinese Etymology</a> notes:<br />
&quot;compound 漢, older  ... 氵shuǐ and <strong>(rem- 堇 jǐn) from phonetic difficult (难)難 nán</strong>&quot;.</p>
<p>Wikipedia notes:<br />
The Han people were named after a dynasty of the same name <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese#Names" rel="noreferrer">dynasty of the same name</a>. Another Wikipedia page states that the Han dynasty was named after the fiefdom of &quot;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Etymology" rel="noreferrer">Hanzhong... [which was] named after its location on the <strong>Han River</strong> (in modern southwest Shaanxi)</a>&quot;. Another page says of Hanzhong: &quot;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanzhong" rel="noreferrer">From 900 BC, the area has been called <strong>Nan</strong>zheng (Chinese: 南鄭; lit. 'southern Zheng')</a>&quot;*</p>
<p>If Wikipedia is correct, then <strong>it seems clear why we would have the &quot;radical&quot; for water</strong>.</p>
<p>However, <strong>I am wondering if either of the above sources is correct in noting the origin of the sound element &quot;hàn&quot;</strong> - or if there is some other source.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-28T16:49:07.347Z
汉 is only used in the PRC spelling standard and comes from a cursive abbreviation of 漢. There is no 又 (right hand) in the character. Generally, start off analysing orthodox characters and not cursive abbreviations (which are largely irrelevant to the language).
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-28T18:08:10.203Z
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I edited to make the focus on the traditional character.
MikeLangStudent
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-29T02:24:29.067Z
Reading the "simplified / abbreviated characters" exclusively is like learning / understanding the English language by writing and reading the Pitman system of shorthand used by company secretaries.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T15:23:28.257Z
Good point Wayne, thanks. I am going to always start with traditional characters in any future etymological research.
MikeLangStudent
<characters><glyph-origin><history>
How did 漢 come to represent the Han people and civilization?
# How did 漢 come to represent the Han people and civilization?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-28)

It appears that this character consists of **a meaning part and a sound part**: a **water radical** (i.e. section header for water in Kangxi dictionary) for meaning, and the **character for sound**.

**Radical - Meaning Element**

If the **original "meaning" part of this character** was meant to concern water, what does that have to do with **Han people, culture, civilization**, etc.? Is this possibly related to the original Han civilization beginning in a river location?

**Sound Element**

If **口 and 夫** can be considered **decomposition components of** , did either play a role in giving the sound hàn?

[Chinese Etymology](https://hanziyuan.net/#%E6%BC%A2) notes:  
"compound 漢, older ... 氵shuǐ and **(rem- 堇 jǐn) from phonetic difficult (难)難 nán**".

Wikipedia notes:  
The Han people were named after a dynasty of the same name [dynasty of the same name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese#Names). Another Wikipedia page states that the Han dynasty was named after the fiefdom of "[Hanzhong... [which was] named after its location on the **Han River** (in modern southwest Shaanxi)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Etymology)". Another page says of Hanzhong: "[From 900 BC, the area has been called **Nan**zheng (Chinese: 南鄭; lit. 'southern Zheng')](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanzhong)"\*

If Wikipedia is correct, then **it seems clear why we would have the "radical" for water**.

However, **I am wondering if either of the above sources is correct in noting the origin of the sound element "hàn"** - or if there is some other source.

**Tags:** characters, glyph-origin, history

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 汉 is only used in the PRC spelling standard and comes from a cursive abbreviation of 漢. There is no 又 (right hand) in the character. Generally, start off analysing orthodox characters and not cursive abbreviations (which are largely irrelevant to the language).  
> **username_0**: Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I edited to make the focus on the traditional character.  
> **username_2**: Reading the "simplified / abbreviated characters" exclusively is like learning / understanding the English language by writing and reading the Pitman system of shorthand used by company secretaries.  
> **username_0**: Good point username_2, thanks. I am going to always start with traditional characters in any future etymological research.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-30. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

A few points to start off:

* Characters are not made up of *radicals* (which are strictly dictionary section headers); elements of characters which give meaning are called *semantic components*.
* The phonetic part of 「漢」 is currently written as 「⿱廿⿻口夫」.

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

  For brevity, this character will be referred to as 「」, but note that 「」 is actually a Japanese shape, with 「艹」 and not 「廿」 on the top, and writing it this way is **incorrect** in Chinese.
* *Chinese Etymology* is wrong - there is no 「堇」 in 「漢」, and no 「難」 in 「漢」. This statement probably comes from older literature now known to be incorrect; both 「堇」 and 「難」 contain phonetic 「」, but most older dictionaries do not contain a definition of 「」, and so may make up character composition definitions based on circular logic.
* 「難」 ([Baxter-Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)): **/\*nˤar/**) did not originally sound like 「南」 (**/\*nˤ[ə]m/**), so the name *Nanzheng* (南鄭) is not relevant.

---

### Meaning of 「漢」

「漢」 indeed originally was the name of a river. From the [Spring and Autumn Period](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period) artefact 《敬事天王鐘》（《殷周金文集成》７３、７４）:

[![《殷周金文集成》７３](https://i.sstatic.net/ispyh.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ispyh.png)

[![《殷周金文集成》７4](https://i.sstatic.net/ANbsT.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ANbsT.png)

> 隹（唯）王㱏（正）月初吉（庚）（申）// (...) （自）（作）永（詠）命（鈴），（其）// ⿵⿶⿱冖月頁（眉）（壽）（無）疆，（敬）事天 // 王，（至）于父⿰兄⿱土（兄），㠯（以）樂（君）// 子，江漢（之）陰陽，// 百歲外，㠯大行。
>
> 'Tis the day of [*gēngshēn*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%BA%9A%E7%94%B3#Chinese) of the first week of the first month of the King's reign\*, (...)† self-cast this ceremonial bell. Wishing for boundless longevity, respectfully serving the King and the Elders, letting the noblemen rejoice, across both sides of the [Yangtze](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangtze) and [Hàn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_River_(Hubei)) Rivers; and beyond one's years, with this bell, setting off on the Grand Journey‡.
>
> \*This timekeeping record isn't necessarily from the *start* of the King's reign.  
> †Inscription is faded out; this is expected to be someone's name.  
> ‡Refers to the journey to/in the afterlife (death).

「漢」 was not originally associated with *Chinese* civilisation or ethnicity; rather, [the first emperor of the Hàn Dynasty decided to name the dynasty after the river](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Gaozu_of_Han#King_of_Han), simultaneously causing the entire unified nation to adopt the name of the 「漢」 ethnic group which originally resided around the river. Chinese civilisation, if it could be said to have a beginning, would have originated around [Zhōngyuán](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhongyuan) (中原) rather than the Hàn River, and it is 「中原」 which gave rise to the name 「中或」 (*central regions*) >「中國」 (*Middle Kingdom*).

As one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history, the adoption of the name 「漢」 eventually caused most long-standing notions of tribal boundaries and ethnic groups which have persisted all the way from the [Shāng Dynasty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty) to fade away, such that 「漢」 is now synonymous with *Chinese*.

---

### Phonetic component of 「漢」

| 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) |  | [鐵](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)17.1 [合集12524](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=12524&jgwfl=) |
| [西周](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou) [金](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions) |  | 堇鼎 [集成2703](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2703&jgwfl=) |
| [戰國](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period)・[晉](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_(Chinese_state)) 金 | [難](https://i.sstatic.net/Ecxct.png) | 「難」 中山王謱鼎 [集成2840](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2840&jgwfl=) |
| 戰國・[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_(state)) 金 |  | 「堇」 漢中守戈 [集成11367](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=11367&jgwfl=) |
| [西漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han) [隸](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script) | [漢](https://i.sstatic.net/LhEZX.png) | 「漢」 屯戍9.4 [流沙墜簡](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%B5%81%E6%B2%99%E5%A2%9C%E7%B0%A1) |
| [楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script) |  |  |

「」 is made up of [「黑」 (*picture of a person with criminal facial tattoos*)](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=2923) with the addition of an [exaggeratedly-drawn mouth 「口」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=39) on top, depicting a *sighing criminal*, indicating related meanings of *bearing hardship, suffering* (now written 艱、難), *to sigh (e.g. out of grief, lamentation, suffering, or desperation)* (now written 嘆), and *punishment* (e.g. 熯, *punishment by fire*).

The bottom portion of 「」 was often corrupted into 「火」 or 「炎」, leading to extra marks in today's shape which causes the bottom of 「」 to look like 「夫」.

In addition to its meaning role, 「黑」 *may also* serve as a phonetic hint for 「」, but generally, characters should only be decomposed at a surface level, and so it is inappropriate to decompose 「」 to see what kind of hints the resulting components provide to 「漢」.

Please note that 「」 merely plays a phonetic role in 「漢」, not a semantic (meaning) role.

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**References:**

* [漢語多功能字庫](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/)
* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* 何琳儀《戰國古文字典：戰國文字聲系》
* [小學堂](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
  + [異體字表](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/variants)
  + [字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
* [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/)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: In *Chinese History: A New Manual*, Endymion Wilkinson  also notes that, "Nearly all the names of dynasties (guohao 國號) and polities up to and including the Han 漢 were taken from place names. Between the fall of the Han and the establishment of the Liao 遼 in the tenth century, these same names were used for dynasties over and over again."  
> **username_1**: @Mo. Indeed! I was careful to say: ***most** long-standing notions...fade away*. Even where nationalism has long-sinced waned, the names of their associated old Zhou-era vassal territories have continued to hold a degree of prestige, which is why Emperors commonly have granted titles like *Prince of XX*.  
> **username_3**: I wasn't trying to add any corrections. I just came across Wilkinson's quote while looking up this question and though it was relevant. I figured it tacked on nicely at the end of your answer.  
> **username_0**: username_1 - I very much appreciate all the information you have presented. This is exactly the kind of detailed explanation I was looking for. Linquistics, history, - your answer has it all! Thank you for your time and efforts.  
> **username_0**: Mo - thanks for your helpful comment as well.  

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