<p>Yes, it is a deliberate combination. But 「失」 is also a sound hint!</p>
<p>「跌」 (Baxter-Sagart OC: <strong>/*lˤi[t]/</strong>, <em>to fall, stumble</em>) is comprised of semantic 「足」 (<em>foot</em>) and simultaneously semantic and phonetic 「失」 (<strong>/*l̥i[t]/</strong>, <em>to lose</em>).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Compare several other characters in the phonetic series:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KTEw3.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KTEw3.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-22T17:05:45.733Z
I don't see what basis we have to say that 失 is also semantic. (Certainly it is phonetic.)
Colin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-22T21:10:34.297Z
@Colin “semantic” comes in multiple flavours. 取 is compound semantic (hand 又 taking ears 耳 as kill counts off a battlefield > take). The OP took 跌 to mean *lose* 失 *footing* 足, but this isn’t what’s going on here, 失 is actually the original form of 跌, which I didn’t go into detail.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T10:16:35.590Z
2020-02-19T10:39:21.530Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dROOOze
<p>The character</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E8%B7%8C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">跌</a> (diē) = "to trip", etc.</li>
</ul>

<p>is composed of two parts</p>

<ul>
<li>on the left there is <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E8%B6%B3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">足</a> (zú) = "foot", and</li>
<li>on the right there is <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%A4%B1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">失</a> (shī) = "to lose", etc.</li>
</ul>

<p>And indeed <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%A4%B1%E8%B6%B3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">失足</a> means "to lose one's footing".  It feels like the components of 跌 are not just a coincidence.  However, Chinese hanzi tend to have long histories so it can be hard to tell.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: Is the character 跌 (to trip) a deliberate combination of 足 (foot) and 失 (to lose)?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T12:16:28.520Z
跌 by itself does not necessarily mean to "trip" as in falling down onto the ground. It is a generic term for a drop, a falling or a lowering of something, like, 股价跌落, (Gǔjià diéluò), (drop, falling of company stock / share price), and also 跌宕起伏, (Diēdàng qǐfú), (equivalent to the English "ups and downs")

If you wish to say bodily falling down onto the ground, then it's 跌倒 or better still 跌倒在地上
Wayne Cheah
<glyph-origin>
Is the character 跌 (to trip) a deliberate combination of 足 (foot) and 失 (to lose)?
# Is the character 跌 (to trip) a deliberate combination of 足 (foot) and 失 (to lose)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-19)

The character

* [跌](http://youdao.com/w/%E8%B7%8C) (diē) = "to trip", etc.

is composed of two parts

* on the left there is [足](http://youdao.com/w/%E8%B6%B3) (zú) = "foot", and
* on the right there is [失](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%A4%B1) (shī) = "to lose", etc.

And indeed [失足](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%A4%B1%E8%B6%B3) means "to lose one's footing". It feels like the components of 跌 are not just a coincidence. However, Chinese hanzi tend to have long histories so it can be hard to tell.

**Question**: Is the character 跌 (to trip) a deliberate combination of 足 (foot) and 失 (to lose)?

**Tags:** glyph-origin

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 跌 by itself does not necessarily mean to "trip" as in falling down onto the ground. It is a generic term for a drop, a falling or a lowering of something, like, 股价跌落, (Gǔjià diéluò), (drop, falling of company stock / share price), and also 跌宕起伏, (Diēdàng qǐfú), (equivalent to the English "ups and downs")  If you wish to say bodily falling down onto the ground, then it's 跌倒 or better still 跌倒在地上  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-02-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Yes, it is a deliberate combination. But 「失」 is also a sound hint!

「跌」 (Baxter-Sagart OC: **/\*lˤi[t]/**, *to fall, stumble*) is comprised of semantic 「足」 (*foot*) and simultaneously semantic and phonetic 「失」 (**/\*l̥i[t]/**, *to lose*).

> Compare several other characters in the phonetic series:
>
> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/KTEw3.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/KTEw3.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I don't see what basis we have to say that 失 is also semantic. (Certainly it is phonetic.)  
> **username_2**: @username_3 “semantic” comes in multiple flavours. 取 is compound semantic (hand 又 taking ears 耳 as kill counts off a battlefield > take). The OP took 跌 to mean *lose* 失 *footing* 足, but this isn’t what’s going on here, 失 is actually the original form of 跌, which I didn’t go into detail.  

---

