<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://tmrc1.tp.edu.tw/html/rsr20081105093736a6g/sixbook.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡易六書原則</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ol start="4">
<li>形聲:</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>在中國文字中，形聲字的比例最多，「形聲」就是形符和聲符的配合，「形符」表示字的類別；「聲符」則表示字的字音</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Both 帳 and 賬 are 形聲字 (Pictophonetic characters)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>貝 indicates the character is related to 'money/finance'. It is the semantic component of the character 賬</p>
</li>
<li><p>巾 indicates the character is related to 'tent/cloth'. It is the semantic component of the character 帳</p>
</li>
<li><p>長 is the phonetic component of both 帳 and 賬</p>
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>張 is a 會意形聲字. [弓 = bow --&gt; bow extends + phonetic 長]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Wang_xiao_ming posted:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>按：此字本為帳幕之義，後亦用為錢項計簿之義，此義或从貝作「賬」。清．翟灝《通俗編．貨財》云：「幃幄曰帳，而計簿亦曰帳者，運籌必在幃幄中也。今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It said 帳 originally meant 'tents', acquired the meaning of &quot;accounting&quot; later because &quot;運籌必在幃幄中也&quot; meaning: &quot;to calculate war strategy, one must be in a tent&quot; (in the army, close to the battlefield)</p>
<p>Since accounting involves money, the 巾 radical was replaced by the 貝 radical.  The meaning of 'account --&gt; (debt)' in '帳' thereafter, was transferred to '賬'.</p>
<p>'今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見' However, at the beginning, 賬 was considered a made-up word by the general public, not listed in any reference book.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-07T22:03:56.240Z
Many sources seem to be in agreement that「賬」is a later invention as an unorthodox form (俗字) of「帳」when having to do with accounting. From Taiwan MoE's Dictionary of Variant Characters: `按：此字本為帳幕之義，後亦用為錢項計簿之義，此義或从貝作「賬」。清．翟灝《通俗編．貨財》云：「幃幄曰帳，而計簿亦曰帳者，運籌必在幃幄中也。今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見。」`. Do you have anything that suggests the two characters aren't related?
wang_xiao_ming
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-07T23:27:32.033Z
@wang_xiao_ming Thanks for the quote, I will edit my answer
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-07T21:33:29.637Z
2020-07-07T23:40:14.983Z
2020-07-07T23:40:14.983Z
Tang Ho
<p>賬 is a traditional character, its simplfied character is 账.<br />
look its structural part:贝(or 貝), it is related to money. So I can say a word: 账本, equals to account book.
Ok then, 帐, its structural part is 巾, we can simply conclude that it is related to textile. For example: 蚊帐, equals to mosquito net.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-16T07:28:53.220Z
2020-07-16T08:44:54.160Z
2020-07-16T08:44:54.160Z
nether End
<p>「賬」is said to be a derivative character (分化字) of「帳」, itself being a derivative character of「張」. The meaning of「帳」is related to tents, screens, or curtains:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《玉篇》帷也，張也，幬也。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>「賬」has meanings relating to accounts, bills, and debt, but I don't quite see the connection to「帳」. Outlier outlines the semantic extension like so:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>(orig.) to pitch a tent</li>
<li>→ tent, canopy</li>
<li>⇒ accounting records (written on cloth of some sort)</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>However, the jump from 2. and 3. seems a bit big. Is there something missing in between this gap, or a more detailed explanation describing this jump?</p>
<hr />
<p>Also branching a bit from the above, but is the relation between「帳」and「賬」similar to that of「帖」and「貼」, in the sense that the latter is derived from the former?</p>
<hr />
<p>Edit: From Taiwan MoE's 異體字字典:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>按：此字本為帳幕之義，後亦用為錢項計簿之義，此義或从貝作「賬」。清．翟灝《通俗編．貨財》云：「幃幄曰帳，而計簿亦曰帳者，運籌必在幃幄中也。今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見。」</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Seems like this briefly touches on this semantic extension, but I'm hoping someone else can verify this, or provide more insight on the topic.</p>

<etymology><glyph-origin>
Relation between「帳」and「賬」
# Relation between「帳」and「賬」

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-07)

「賬」is said to be a derivative character (分化字) of「帳」, itself being a derivative character of「張」. The meaning of「帳」is related to tents, screens, or curtains:

> 《玉篇》帷也，張也，幬也。

「賬」has meanings relating to accounts, bills, and debt, but I don't quite see the connection to「帳」. Outlier outlines the semantic extension like so:

> 1. (orig.) to pitch a tent
> 2. → tent, canopy
> 3. ⇒ accounting records (written on cloth of some sort)

However, the jump from 2. and 3. seems a bit big. Is there something missing in between this gap, or a more detailed explanation describing this jump?

---

Also branching a bit from the above, but is the relation between「帳」and「賬」similar to that of「帖」and「貼」, in the sense that the latter is derived from the former?

---

Edit: From Taiwan MoE's 異體字字典:

> 按：此字本為帳幕之義，後亦用為錢項計簿之義，此義或从貝作「賬」。清．翟灝《通俗編．貨財》云：「幃幄曰帳，而計簿亦曰帳者，運籌必在幃幄中也。今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見。」

Seems like this briefly touches on this semantic extension, but I'm hoping someone else can verify this, or provide more insight on the topic.

**Tags:** etymology, glyph-origin


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-07-07. Score: 2

> [簡易六書原則](http://tmrc1.tp.edu.tw/html/rsr20081105093736a6g/sixbook.htm)

> 4. 形聲:

> 在中國文字中，形聲字的比例最多，「形聲」就是形符和聲符的配合，「形符」表示字的類別；「聲符」則表示字的字音

Both 帳 and 賬 are 形聲字 (Pictophonetic characters)

* 貝 indicates the character is related to 'money/finance'. It is the semantic component of the character 賬
* 巾 indicates the character is related to 'tent/cloth'. It is the semantic component of the character 帳
* 長 is the phonetic component of both 帳 and 賬

> 張 is a 會意形聲字. [弓 = bow --> bow extends + phonetic 長]

Wang\_xiao\_ming posted:

> 按：此字本為帳幕之義，後亦用為錢項計簿之義，此義或从貝作「賬」。清．翟灝《通俗編．貨財》云：「幃幄曰帳，而計簿亦曰帳者，運籌必在幃幄中也。今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見。

It said 帳 originally meant 'tents', acquired the meaning of "accounting" later because "運籌必在幃幄中也" meaning: "to calculate war strategy, one must be in a tent" (in the army, close to the battlefield)

Since accounting involves money, the 巾 radical was replaced by the 貝 radical. The meaning of 'account --> (debt)' in '帳' thereafter, was transferred to '賬'.

'今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見' However, at the beginning, 賬 was considered a made-up word by the general public, not listed in any reference book.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Many sources seem to be in agreement that「賬」is a later invention as an unorthodox form (俗字) of「帳」when having to do with accounting. From Taiwan MoE's Dictionary of Variant Characters: `按：此字本為帳幕之義，後亦用為錢項計簿之義，此義或从貝作「賬」。清．翟灝《通俗編．貨財》云：「幃幄曰帳，而計簿亦曰帳者，運籌必在幃幄中也。今市井或造賬字用之，諸字書中皆未見。」`. Do you have anything that suggests the two characters aren't related?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Thanks for the quote, I will edit my answer  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-07-16. Score: -1

賬 is a traditional character, its simplfied character is 账.  
look its structural part:贝(or 貝), it is related to money. So I can say a word: 账本, equals to account book.
Ok then, 帐, its structural part is 巾, we can simply conclude that it is related to textile. For example: 蚊帐, equals to mosquito net.


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