<p>Perhaps those etymologies are not quite <em>correct</em>.</p>
<p>The, current, definition in the new <strong>Outliers</strong> dictionary gives the following explanation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>FORM</strong></p>
<p>Ancient form:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nWKlz.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nWKlz.jpg" alt="yeahyeah" /></a></p>
<p>半 was originally composed of 八 “to divide; cut into two parts” and 斗 “measuring spoon,” indicating the original meaning “a spoon used to serve alcohol with a capacity of half a 斗 (dǒu).”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>They give the following reference:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>杜忠誥，2002《說文篆文訛形釋例》，台北市：文史哲出版社，2009年2月初版修訂。</p>
<p>p. 191-195</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Then under <strong>Meanings</strong> they continue:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>1 (orig.) a spoon used to serve alcohol with a capacity of half a 斗 (dǒu)</p>
<p>2 → half</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I guess a 半 is almost like a <em>half-pint</em> - if we’re to put it in modern terms westerners could understand.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>edit: I would imagine 伴 is comprised of 亻/人 [a meaning component] and 半 [a sound component].</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T00:01:56.740Z
A dou would be a pint? About 454ml? I hope they were not drinking 白酒 by the pint!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T00:42:16.190Z
Apparently, 一斗为十升：https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/553053209.html 一半斗为5升！！ 干杯哦！！
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T03:35:36.290Z
Not an apt illustration, I know, but I couldn’t think of anything else that is usually ordered in halves. Let alone a half of ten liters.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-11T09:56:48.197Z
2017-12-11T10:21:41.873Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Mou某
<p>Pursuant to the question below about 伴：</p>

<p>What intrigues me is what 8 八 and a cow 牛(or 2 cows) have to do with this?</p>

<p>chineseetymology.org says for 半: 'Augmented pictograph 半. Augmentation 八 (indicating separation) and cow 牛.' （WTF is an 'augmented cow??)</p>

<p>zhongwen.com says 半: divide 八 an ox 牛 (share it? cut it up??)</p>

<p>An old version of 伴 <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MW0Ca.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MW0Ca.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a> is this 2 'augmented cows'??</p>

<p>We see what looks like 2 people to me, but the dictionary says it is 2 times 半， =  八 (8 or divide) and 牛 (ox, cow) twice. Later we see 伴 as 人 + 半 Maybe on a notion of 'a man's best companion is his cow?' （In ancient times I think, a cow was regarded more valuable than a wife, at least in many societies.)</p>

<glyph-origin>
The glyph origins of 半
# The glyph origins of 半

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-11)

Pursuant to the question below about 伴：

What intrigues me is what 8 八 and a cow 牛(or 2 cows) have to do with this?

chineseetymology.org says for 半: 'Augmented pictograph 半. Augmentation 八 (indicating separation) and cow 牛.' （WTF is an 'augmented cow??)

zhongwen.com says 半: divide 八 an ox 牛 (share it? cut it up??)

An old version of 伴 [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/MW0Ca.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/MW0Ca.gif) is this 2 'augmented cows'??

We see what looks like 2 people to me, but the dictionary says it is 2 times 半， = 八 (8 or divide) and 牛 (ox, cow) twice. Later we see 伴 as 人 + 半 Maybe on a notion of 'a man's best companion is his cow?' （In ancient times I think, a cow was regarded more valuable than a wife, at least in many societies.)

**Tags:** glyph-origin


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-12-11. Score: 2

Perhaps those etymologies are not quite *correct*.

The, current, definition in the new **Outliers** dictionary gives the following explanation:

> **FORM**
>
> Ancient form:
>
> [![yeahyeah](https://i.sstatic.net/nWKlz.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/nWKlz.jpg)
>
> 半 was originally composed of 八 “to divide; cut into two parts” and 斗 “measuring spoon,” indicating the original meaning “a spoon used to serve alcohol with a capacity of half a 斗 (dǒu).”

They give the following reference:

> 杜忠誥，2002《說文篆文訛形釋例》，台北市：文史哲出版社，2009年2月初版修訂。
>
> p. 191-195

Then under **Meanings** they continue:

> 1 (orig.) a spoon used to serve alcohol with a capacity of half a 斗 (dǒu)
>
> 2 → half

I guess a 半 is almost like a *half-pint* - if we’re to put it in modern terms westerners could understand.

——

edit: I would imagine 伴 is comprised of 亻/人 [a meaning component] and 半 [a sound component].

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: A dou would be a pint? About 454ml? I hope they were not drinking 白酒 by the pint!  
> **username_0**: Apparently, 一斗为十升：https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/553053209.html 一半斗为5升！！ 干杯哦！！  
> **username_1**: Not an apt illustration, I know, but I couldn’t think of anything else that is usually ordered in halves. Let alone a half of ten liters.  

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