<p>Seeing as all the other answers are getting downvoted - I'll just leave this short reference here:</p>
<p><strong>Outlier</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>FORM</strong><br />
款 kuǎn was originally composed of 柰 nài (now written ) and 欠 “person with their mouth open,” which hints at the original meaning “to desire something that one does not have.” 柰 gave the sound (but for the reading kuài).</p>
<p><strong>COMPONENTS</strong><br />
<br />
In 款 kuǎn,  is an empty component. It was originally 柰 nài, which was the sound component (but for the reading kuài).<br />
欠<br />
In 款, 欠 “person with their mouth open” is a meaning component, hinting at the original meaning “to desire something that one does not have.”</p>
<p><strong>MEANINGS</strong><br />
<strong>kuǎn</strong><br />
1 (orig.) to desire something that one does not have<br />
2 ○ sum of money, fund<br />
3 → wealth; wealthy person<br />
4 → item<br />
5 ⇒ clause in a document</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>The meaning of money/funds is again another <strong>phonetic loan</strong>, indicated by the ○ symbol on definition number two.</li>
</ul>
<p>The reference Outlier gives here is from:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>p. 768<br />
李學勤，2012《字源》，天津：天津古籍出版社，2013年7月2次印刷。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and here is the excerpt from Ziyuan:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/jNOC5.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/jNOC5.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>and its extracted text:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>形声字。《说文》：“款，意有所欲也。从欠，窾省声。歀，款或从柰。”姚文田、严可均校议：“当作祟声，小徐．《韵会》十四旱引作嶔省声。”徐濒段注笺：“窾之声转如窜，故《系传》作窾省声。然窾本从款声，款不得义从窾省声。此鼎臣所以删声字也。窃谓款当从祟声，读苦外切，故字又作歀，从柰即其明证。款或作款，正与隸或作隷同也。救乃诚款本字，其义为空虚，故从宀相承省作款耳。款从祟声，明白无可疑者，今径正之。”清邵瑛群经正字：“凡篆文偏旁出字，隶法当作土。”《说文》所释“意有所欲也”，当为款字本义，因为从欠为意符。战国秦汉文献多用为诚实之义，当为借义，用为空义，本字也作嶔。款字当以柰为声符，祟当是柰之讹变。桌是柰之隶变减省。款字未见于西周金文，也未见于西周文献，其字当产生于春秋战国时代。（周宝宏）</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>If you're curious about the, original, &quot;⿰柰&quot; portion of the character it is interesting that we can see a similar progression in 隸. This character later became: 隷. Where again ⿰柰 evolved into: ⿰.</li>
</ul>
<p>This one makes me laugh because of the internet slang pun that can often be found associated with <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqtm=0&amp;wdqcham=1&amp;wdqt=%E6%9F%B0%E5%AD%90%0D%0A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">柰</a>. Especially, here, situated next to an open mouth. But, perhaps that reinforces the <em>desire</em> for something you don't have.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-13T10:15:04.550Z
2020-12-13T11:24:37.603Z
2020-12-13T11:24:37.603Z
Mou某
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">秦</a><br>璽印</th>
<th style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">篆</a></th>
<th style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">東漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸</a></th>
<th style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/2VPgps.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2VPgps.png" alt="李歀" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ghvEr.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ghvEr.png" alt="歀" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nCQpF.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nCQpF.png" alt="款" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NF4G6.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NF4G6.png" alt="款" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">「李歀」<br>十鐘山房印舉3.34</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77391&amp;page=31" rel="nofollow noreferrer">欠部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">說文解字</a>・或體</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">80甲<br>武威醫簡</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p>「款」 was originally written as 「歀」, and the reference in 李學勤《字源》 claims that 「款」 was constructed for a sound like <strong>/*kʰʷraːds/</strong> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Zhengzhang_(1981%E2%80%931995)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zhengzhang OC</a>), making 「柰」 (<strong>/*naːds/</strong>) the sound component. 「款」 was later used for <strong>/*kʰloːnʔ/</strong> (Mandarin Pinyin: <strong>kuǎn</strong>), and 「柰」 was later corrupted into 「⿱士示」.</p>
<p>「款」 (<em>empty/hollow</em> [now written 「窾」], <em>wanting</em>) uses 「欠」 (<em>to lack</em>) as a semantic component. The common meanings in use today are most likely phonetic loans.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>李學勤《字源》</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/yanbian" rel="nofollow noreferrer">字形演變</a></li>
<li><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/variants" rel="nofollow noreferrer">異體字表</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-13T11:14:55.793Z
2020-12-13T11:14:55.793Z
dROOOze
<p>欠is a Independent character. 欠 can be combined with other component  to form a character. The left component of 款 is not a character, it just forms part of the  character（款）, and it has no meaning.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-13T02:38:12.057Z
Sorry, but this doesn't answer the question on how the components of 款 are formed. 欠 is supposed to be radical or semantic meaning, yet the meaning of 款 has no semantic link to "breathing" as most of the characters with 欠 have some sort of link to it (欲, 欺, 吹). As for the left part, I am curious how it came about because no other characters have that component, so I am unsure if it's a phonetic component, or does it add some meaning to the character 款.
Fishuman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-12T15:31:57.057Z
2020-12-12T15:31:57.057Z
Billy
<p>It was a independent character from the very beginning and had nothing to do with “欠”. The earliest version of &quot;款&quot; we know today came from the warring states period (the left one)</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/jYs4x.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/jYs4x.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>&quot;欠&quot; at that time was something like &quot;专&quot;. It became the &quot;欠&quot; you know today at Han dynasty (a few hundred years later). It was just a coincidence they developed into the same shape.</p>
<p>BTW, 款 at the beginning didn't mean &quot;fee/payment&quot;. It meant “sincere”, and today it still has this meaning when you use words like “款款”</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-13T08:59:21.367Z
`"欠" at that time was something like "专". It became the "欠" you know today at Han dynasty (a few hundred years later)` You're confusing functional character components with character shapes.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-13T08:53:55.580Z
2020-12-13T08:53:55.580Z
Actun
<p>Where does this character 款 come from? Its meanings (model/style or fee/payment) doesn't seem to have any link to the semantic part 欠, unless it specifically refers to owed money/payment?
And what does the left component mean? I haven't seen the left side (phonetic?) component in any other character before.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-13T08:20:14.210Z
Have you checked [款](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E6%AC%BE) ?.
Tang Ho
<etymology><glyph-origin><character-components>
Glyph origin of 款
# Glyph origin of 款

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

Where does this character 款 come from? Its meanings (model/style or fee/payment) doesn't seem to have any link to the semantic part 欠, unless it specifically refers to owed money/payment?
And what does the left component mean? I haven't seen the left side (phonetic?) component in any other character before.

**Tags:** etymology, glyph-origin, character-components

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Have you checked [款](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E6%AC%BE) ?.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-12-13. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Seeing as all the other answers are getting downvoted - I'll just leave this short reference here:

**Outlier**

> **FORM**  
> 款 kuǎn was originally composed of 柰 nài (now written ) and 欠 “person with their mouth open,” which hints at the original meaning “to desire something that one does not have.” 柰 gave the sound (but for the reading kuài).
>
> **COMPONENTS**  
>   
> In 款 kuǎn, is an empty component. It was originally 柰 nài, which was the sound component (but for the reading kuài).  
> 欠  
> In 款, 欠 “person with their mouth open” is a meaning component, hinting at the original meaning “to desire something that one does not have.”
>
> **MEANINGS**  
> **kuǎn**  
> 1 (orig.) to desire something that one does not have  
> 2 ○ sum of money, fund  
> 3 → wealth; wealthy person  
> 4 → item  
> 5 ⇒ clause in a document

* The meaning of money/funds is again another **phonetic loan**, indicated by the ○ symbol on definition number two.

The reference Outlier gives here is from:

> p. 768  
> 李學勤，2012《字源》，天津：天津古籍出版社，2013年7月2次印刷。

and here is the excerpt from Ziyuan:

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/jNOC5.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/jNOC5.png)

and its extracted text:

> 形声字。《说文》：“款，意有所欲也。从欠，窾省声。歀，款或从柰。”姚文田、严可均校议：“当作祟声，小徐．《韵会》十四旱引作嶔省声。”徐濒段注笺：“窾之声转如窜，故《系传》作窾省声。然窾本从款声，款不得义从窾省声。此鼎臣所以删声字也。窃谓款当从祟声，读苦外切，故字又作歀，从柰即其明证。款或作款，正与隸或作隷同也。救乃诚款本字，其义为空虚，故从宀相承省作款耳。款从祟声，明白无可疑者，今径正之。”清邵瑛群经正字：“凡篆文偏旁出字，隶法当作土。”《说文》所释“意有所欲也”，当为款字本义，因为从欠为意符。战国秦汉文献多用为诚实之义，当为借义，用为空义，本字也作嶔。款字当以柰为声符，祟当是柰之讹变。桌是柰之隶变减省。款字未见于西周金文，也未见于西周文献，其字当产生于春秋战国时代。（周宝宏）

* If you're curious about the, original, "⿰柰" portion of the character it is interesting that we can see a similar progression in 隸. This character later became: 隷. Where again ⿰柰 evolved into: ⿰.

This one makes me laugh because of the internet slang pun that can often be found associated with [柰](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqtm=0&wdqcham=1&wdqt=%E6%9F%B0%E5%AD%90%0D%0A). Especially, here, situated next to an open mouth. But, perhaps that reinforces the *desire* for something you don't have.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-12-13. Score: 3

| [秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty) 璽印 | [篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script) | [東漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han) [隸](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script) | [楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [李歀](https://i.sstatic.net/2VPgps.png) | [歀](https://i.sstatic.net/ghvEr.png) | [款](https://i.sstatic.net/nCQpF.png) | [款](https://i.sstatic.net/NF4G6.png) |
| 「李歀」 十鐘山房印舉3.34 | [欠部](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77391&page=31) [說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)・或體 | 80甲 武威醫簡 |  |

「款」 was originally written as 「歀」, and the reference in 李學勤《字源》 claims that 「款」 was constructed for a sound like **/\*kʰʷraːds/** ([Zhengzhang OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Zhengzhang_(1981%E2%80%931995))), making 「柰」 (**/\*naːds/**) the sound component. 「款」 was later used for **/\*kʰloːnʔ/** (Mandarin Pinyin: **kuǎn**), and 「柰」 was later corrupted into 「⿱士示」.

「款」 (*empty/hollow* [now written 「窾」], *wanting*) uses 「欠」 (*to lack*) as a semantic component. The common meanings in use today are most likely phonetic loans.

---

**References:**

* 李學勤《字源》
* [小學堂](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
  + [字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
  + [異體字表](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/variants)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-12-12. Score: -1

欠is a Independent character. 欠 can be combined with other component to form a character. The left component of 款 is not a character, it just forms part of the character（款）, and it has no meaning.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Sorry, but this doesn't answer the question on how the components of 款 are formed. 欠 is supposed to be radical or semantic meaning, yet the meaning of 款 has no semantic link to "breathing" as most of the characters with 欠 have some sort of link to it (欲, 欺, 吹). As for the left part, I am curious how it came about because no other characters have that component, so I am unsure if it's a phonetic component, or does it add some meaning to the character 款.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-12-13. Score: -1

It was a independent character from the very beginning and had nothing to do with “欠”. The earliest version of "款" we know today came from the warring states period (the left one)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/jYs4x.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/jYs4x.png)

"欠" at that time was something like "专". It became the "欠" you know today at Han dynasty (a few hundred years later). It was just a coincidence they developed into the same shape.

BTW, 款 at the beginning didn't mean "fee/payment". It meant “sincere”, and today it still has this meaning when you use words like “款款”

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: `"欠" at that time was something like "专". It became the "欠" you know today at Han dynasty (a few hundred years later)` You're confusing functional character components with character shapes.  

---

