Template:liushu/documentation

Parameters

{{liushu|type}}

|1=

One of the following:

• 1, p: Pictogram (象形)
• 2, i: Ideogram (指事)
• 3, ic: Ideogrammic compound (會意)
• 4, psc: Phono-semantic compound (形聲)
• 5, j: Jiajie (假借)

|nocap=y

Changes the first letter to lowercase.

|adj=y

Changes the noun to its adjectival form.

|pron=

Adds a pronunciation (ignored if the compound isn't phono-semantic).

As usual, etymologies should be referenced. Shuowen Jiezi is a standard reference from the early 2nd century CE, and is valuable but sometimes inaccurate.

Caveats

• The overwhelming majority of Chinese characters (90+%) are phono-semantic compounds.
• Beware of etymologies based on current forms (especially claims that a character is an ideogrammic compound) – the current form is often a simplification of an older form, which may not be related to the current components.
• Richard Sears’s Chinese Etymology may prove a useful resource, showing older forms.

See also

• About Chinese characters: Etymology
• {{Han compound}}
• {{Han simp}}