<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77389&amp;page=71" rel="nofollow noreferrer">《說文・彳部》</a><p></p>
<blockquote>
<p><kbd><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/RM0Uy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RM0Uy.png" alt="" /></a><br>　</kbd><p>
隱行也。从「彳」，「」聲。<p>
「微」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baxter-Sagart OC</a>: <strong>/*məj/</strong>), to travel [somewhere] under stealth. From semantic 「彳」 (<em>to walk</em>) and phonetic 「」 (<strong>/*məj/</strong>).</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p>Strictly speaking, 「微」 is just a complexified character from 「」. Characters naturally become more complex over time for disambiguation purposes, as simpler characters tend to be used and reused for other senses or as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus#Rebus_principle" rel="nofollow noreferrer">rebus characters</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Borrowed_characters_.28.E5.81.87.E5.80.9F.29" rel="nofollow noreferrer">phonetic loans</a>, causing them to be overloaded with definitions and more easily subjected to shape distortions, and thus increasingly difficult to comprehend.</p>
<p>Since 「」 is the original character for the meaning <em>small, slight</em>, then in terms of glyph origins, 「微」 is built from semantic 「彳」 and <strong>doubly semantic and phonetic 「」</strong> . 「彳」 is simply a semantic indicator appended on to 「微」 to extend the meaning <em>small, slight</em> to <em>travelling under stealth</em>.</p>
<p>So, all this begs the question - what exactly is 「」 supposed to be？</p>
<hr />
<h3>Glyph origins of 「」</h3>
<p><kbd><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><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/f4GhY.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/f4GhY.png" alt="" /></a><br><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">京都</a>2146<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=27996&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集27996</a></kbd><kbd><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><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xp0iT.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xp0iT.png" alt="" /></a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi_Qiang_pan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">史墻盤</a><br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=10175&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成10175</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楚</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/pHM2R.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/pHM2R.png" alt="" /></a><br>56.35<br><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B9%9D%E5%BA%97%E6%A5%9A%E7%B0%A1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">九店楚簡</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">篆</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/wSmxb.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wSmxb.png" alt="" /></a><br><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77391&amp;page=6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">人部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">說文解字</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/RzsIg.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RzsIg.png" alt="" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>「」 is constructed from semantic <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=7138" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「髟」 (<em>picture of a person with long hair</em>)</a> and semantic <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=31257" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「攵・攴」 (<em>picture of a hand holding a hitting implement</em></a> &gt; <em>to strike, to hit</em>), inferring the meaning <em>delicate, slight</em> through the action of <em>cutting off a full growth of hair into a more elegant and delicate state</em>.</p>
<p><em>Shuōwén</em>'s</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77391&amp;page=6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">《說文・人部》</a><p></p>
<blockquote>
<p><kbd><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MEsbV.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MEsbV.png" alt="" /></a><br>　</kbd><p>
妙也。从「人」，从「攴」。「豈」省聲。<p>
(<strong>/*məj/</strong>) [means] <em>delicate</em>. From semantic 「人」 (<em>person</em>), semantic 「攴」 (<em>to strike</em>), and reduced phonetic 「豈」 (<strong>/*C.qʰˤəjʔ/</strong>).</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p>is probably a misunderstanding. <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=1911" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「豈」</a> may have originated from an alteration of <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=6218" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「壴」 (<em>picture of a drum</em>)</a> into 「豈」 (<em>beating of victory drums</em> &gt; <em>triumphant music</em>, now written as 「凱」), and <em>Shuōwén</em> has confused the top part of 「豈」 with the top-[left] part of 「髟」.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><kbd>商<br>甲<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/pitLP.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/pitLP.png" alt="壴" /></a><br><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲</a>2770<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=27694&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集27694</a></kbd><kbd>西周<br>金<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/6eaWn.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6eaWn.png" alt="壴" /></a><br>壴鼎<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=1175&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成1175</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">春秋</a><br>金<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3XoRJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3XoRJ.png" alt="壴" /></a><br>王孫遺者鐘<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=261&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成261</a></kbd><kbd>戰國・楚<br>簡<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4l9B0.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4l9B0.png" alt="壴" /></a><br>性自命出49<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guodian_Chu_Slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">郭店楚簡</a></kbd><kbd>戰國・楚<br>簡<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MbvnJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MbvnJ.png" alt="敳" /></a><br>1.011<br>信陽竹書簡</kbd><kbd><br>篆<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/q83Cn.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/q83Cn.png" alt="豈" /></a><br><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77390&amp;page=33" rel="nofollow noreferrer">豈部</a><br>說文解字</kbd><kbd><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><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/fqZ57.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fqZ57.png" alt="豈" /></a><br>縱橫145<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawangdui_Silk_Texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">馬王堆帛書</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Kingdoms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">三國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cao_Wei" rel="nofollow noreferrer">魏</a><br>隸<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nL1a3.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nL1a3.png" alt="豈" /></a><br>魏封孔羨碑<br>　</kbd><kbd><br>楷<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZPZ7T.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZPZ7T.png" alt="豈" /></a><br><br>　</kbd><p>
For reference, shape derivation of 「豈」. Shapes 1-4 refer to 「壴」. Shape 5 is 「敳」, with the left-hand component as 「壴」 but the top-left part written as a rotated 「山」. This sets the scene for the confusion of 「豈」 and 「」 in <em>Shuōwén</em>. Forms 6-9 refer to 「豈」, which all inherit the (rotated) 「山」 shape.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>季旭昇《說文新證》</li>
<li>李學勤《字源》</li>
<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><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂字形演變</a></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
2020-11-27T22:48:55.863Z
2020-11-28T00:04:19.310Z
2020-11-28T00:04:19.310Z
dROOOze
<blockquote>
<p>[W]hat exactly is ? [...] Could this possibly like 德 and 得, where the original character was missing the 彳 part?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, exactly. From <a href="https://www.unicode.org/cgi-bin/GetUnihanData.pl?codepoint=%F0%A2%BC%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Unihan for U+22F38</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ATM22.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ATM22.png" alt="Unihan entry for U+22F38 with picture of character" /></a></p>
<p>This character's etymology, from <a href="https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&amp;char=%F0%A2%BC%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ctext</a> quoting 《說文》:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>妙也。从人从攴，豈省聲。<br>
Mysterious/clever. From Man (人), from Rap (攴), [with] phonetic 豈 reduced.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-27T07:32:36.620Z
In paleography and Chinese linguistics, 《說文》 is usually only a last resort if you can't find anything better.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-27T08:25:10.587Z
@dROOOze I see. Would it have been more appropriate for me to give a comment instead of an answer then?
yawnoc
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-27T13:56:14.133Z
sorry, but I feel shuowen forces too many words to be phonetic-semantic, even when it makes no sense to me. In this case 豈 sounds nothing like  or 微, It doesn't really explain the character components, and how 攴 brings any semantic meaning
Fishuman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-27T14:48:10.130Z
@Fishuman I believe 豈, , and 微 rhymed in Middle Chinese. This is preserved in Cantonese (hei2, mei4, and mei4 respectively).
yawnoc
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-27T05:28:46.550Z
2020-11-27T05:28:46.550Z
yawnoc
<p>How does this character meaning become &quot;small/tiny&quot;?
So many sources tell me that it's semantic 彳 + &quot;phonetic&quot; , but what exactly is ? I've never seen this character elsewhere before. Could this possibly like 德 and 得, where the original character was missing the 彳 part? However, I haven't found any answer that explains the  component, so was wondering if anyone can enlighten me, thanks.</p>

<glyph-origin><character-components>
Glyph origins of the character 微
# Glyph origins of the character 微

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-27)

How does this character meaning become "small/tiny"?
So many sources tell me that it's semantic 彳 + "phonetic" , but what exactly is ? I've never seen this character elsewhere before. Could this possibly like 德 and 得, where the original character was missing the 彳 part? However, I haven't found any answer that explains the component, so was wondering if anyone can enlighten me, thanks.

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


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-11-27. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> [《說文・彳部》](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77389&page=71)
>
> > `![](https://i.sstatic.net/RM0Uy.png)`
> >
> > 隱行也。从「彳」，「」聲。
> >
> > 「微」 ([Baxter-Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)): **/\*məj/**), to travel [somewhere] under stealth. From semantic 「彳」 (*to walk*) and phonetic 「」 (**/\*məj/**).

Strictly speaking, 「微」 is just a complexified character from 「」. Characters naturally become more complex over time for disambiguation purposes, as simpler characters tend to be used and reused for other senses or as [rebus characters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus#Rebus_principle)/[phonetic loans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Borrowed_characters_.28.E5.81.87.E5.80.9F.29), causing them to be overloaded with definitions and more easily subjected to shape distortions, and thus increasingly difficult to comprehend.

Since 「」 is the original character for the meaning *small, slight*, then in terms of glyph origins, 「微」 is built from semantic 「彳」 and **doubly semantic and phonetic 「」** . 「彳」 is simply a semantic indicator appended on to 「微」 to extend the meaning *small, slight* to *travelling under stealth*.

So, all this begs the question - what exactly is 「」 supposed to be？

---

### Glyph origins of 「」

`商  
甲  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/f4GhY.png)  
京都2146  
合集27996``西周  
金  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/xp0iT.png)  
史墻盤  
集成10175``戰國・楚  
簡  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/pHM2R.png)  
56.35  
九店楚簡` `篆  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/wSmxb.png)  
人部  
說文解字` `楷  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/RzsIg.png)`

「」 is constructed from semantic [「髟」 (*picture of a person with long hair*)](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=7138) and semantic [「攵・攴」 (*picture of a hand holding a hitting implement*](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=31257) > *to strike, to hit*), inferring the meaning *delicate, slight* through the action of *cutting off a full growth of hair into a more elegant and delicate state*.

*Shuōwén*'s

> [《說文・人部》](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77391&page=6)
>
> > `![](https://i.sstatic.net/MEsbV.png)`
> >
> > 妙也。从「人」，从「攴」。「豈」省聲。
> >
> > (**/\*məj/**) [means] *delicate*. From semantic 「人」 (*person*), semantic 「攴」 (*to strike*), and reduced phonetic 「豈」 (**/\*C.qʰˤəjʔ/**).

is probably a misunderstanding. [「豈」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=1911) may have originated from an alteration of [「壴」 (*picture of a drum*)](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=6218) into 「豈」 (*beating of victory drums* > *triumphant music*, now written as 「凱」), and *Shuōwén* has confused the top part of 「豈」 with the top-[left] part of 「髟」.

> `商  
> 甲  
> ![壴](https://i.sstatic.net/pitLP.png)  
> 甲2770  
> 合集27694``西周  
> 金  
> ![壴](https://i.sstatic.net/6eaWn.png)  
> 壴鼎  
> 集成1175``春秋  
> 金  
> ![壴](https://i.sstatic.net/3XoRJ.png)  
> 王孫遺者鐘  
> 集成261``戰國・楚  
> 簡  
> ![壴](https://i.sstatic.net/4l9B0.png)  
> 性自命出49  
> 郭店楚簡``戰國・楚  
> 簡  
> ![敳](https://i.sstatic.net/MbvnJ.png)  
> 1.011  
> 信陽竹書簡` `篆  
> ![豈](https://i.sstatic.net/q83Cn.png)  
> 豈部  
> 說文解字``西漢  
> 隸  
> ![豈](https://i.sstatic.net/fqZ57.png)  
> 縱橫145  
> 馬王堆帛書``三國・魏  
> 隸  
> ![豈](https://i.sstatic.net/nL1a3.png)  
> 魏封孔羨碑` `楷  
> ![豈](https://i.sstatic.net/ZPZ7T.png)`
>
> For reference, shape derivation of 「豈」. Shapes 1-4 refer to 「壴」. Shape 5 is 「敳」, with the left-hand component as 「壴」 but the top-left part written as a rotated 「山」. This sets the scene for the confusion of 「豈」 and 「」 in *Shuōwén*. Forms 6-9 refer to 「豈」, which all inherit the (rotated) 「山」 shape.

---

**References:**

* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* 李學勤《字源》
* [漢語多功能字庫](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/)
* [小學堂字形演變](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/)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-11-27. Score: 0

> [W]hat exactly is ? [...] Could this possibly like 德 and 得, where the original character was missing the 彳 part?

Yes, exactly. From [Unihan for U+22F38](https://www.unicode.org/cgi-bin/GetUnihanData.pl?codepoint=%F0%A2%BC%B8):

[![Unihan entry for U+22F38 with picture of character](https://i.sstatic.net/ATM22.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ATM22.png)

This character's etymology, from [ctext](https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&char=%F0%A2%BC%B8) quoting 《說文》:

> 妙也。从人从攴，豈省聲。  
> Mysterious/clever. From Man (人), from Rap (攴), [with] phonetic 豈 reduced.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In paleography and Chinese linguistics, 《說文》 is usually only a last resort if you can't find anything better.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 I see. Would it have been more appropriate for me to give a comment instead of an answer then?  
> **username_0**: sorry, but I feel shuowen forces too many words to be phonetic-semantic, even when it makes no sense to me. In this case 豈 sounds nothing like  or 微, It doesn't really explain the character components, and how 攴 brings any semantic meaning  
> **username_2**: @username_0 I believe 豈, , and 微 rhymed in Middle Chinese. This is preserved in Cantonese (hei2, mei4, and mei4 respectively).  

---

