Radical ⼝ (30)

Shang	Shang	Early W.Zhou	Qin	W.Han	E.Han	E.Han	Tang
集5452	集8801	近二564	嶽一.質三12	北.老151	淮源廟碑	五.木牘3A	五經文字

{口} *kʰˤ(r)oʔ “mouth” & {曰} *[w]at “to say”

Depiction of a mouth. Initially it was used for both words {口} and {曰}. Later it began to be used only for {口}.

• 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (96)

Shang (Shi)	Shang (Bin)	Early W.Zhou	Middle W.Zhou	Qin	E.Han	Nanbei (N.Wei)
合21242	合8226正	集2837	集10175	北.算甲	華山廟碑	南0283X

{固} *[k]ˤas “solid” ♪→ {古} *kˤaʔ “old”

干 SHIELD + differentiative 口.

• 裘錫圭 1982 - 甲骨文字考釋(續)・三、釋“弘”“強”
• 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (154-155)

?{佑} *[w]əs “to aid” ♪→ {右} *[w]əʔ “right”

♪又 *[W]Ə (depiction of a right hand for {右} *[w]əʔ “right”) + differentiative 口.

• 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (198-199)

E.Han	W.Jin	Nanbei (N.Wei)	Nanbei (N.Wei)	Nanbei (N.Wei)
衡方碑 [弔]	魏晉0021X [弔]	南0044X [弔]	南0185X [弔]	南0173A

{吊/弔} *tˤ[e]wks “to hang”

Differentiated form of 弔.

• 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (638-640)

{名} *[CV.m]eŋ “moonlight” ♪→ {名} *CV.meŋ “name”

夕/月 MOON + differentiative 口.

• 雷縉碚 2022 - “昌、名”二字本義考——兼論《詩經》“安且吉兮”

{史} *sV.rəʔ “historian” & {吏} *[r]əs “government official”

史 + differentiative lines. Initially it was used for both words {史} and {吏}. Later it began to be used only for {吏}.

• 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (42-43)
• 于省吾 1979 - 甲骨文字釋林・釋古文字中付畫因聲指事字的一例 (446-447)
• 王子楊 2013 - 甲骨文字形類組差異現象研究 (54-55)

Alternative form of 呂. Standard form in PRC.

Shang (Bin)	Shang (Bin)	Early W.Zhou	Middle W.Zhou	Chunqiu (Qin)	Qin	Qin	Qin	Han	E.Han	Nanbei (N.Wei)	Nanbei (E.Wei)
合16846	合補1120	集997	集4288.1	石鼓.吳人	傅1427	珍秦207	陶新267	居舊180.8	魯峻碑	元子永墓誌	元光基墓誌

?{胡} *[ɡ]ˤa “dewlap” ♪→ {吳} *ŋʷˤa “Wu (state)”

Uncertain. Probably depiction of a person with an indicative circle on his jaw/neck.

• 陳劍 2017 - 據《清華簡(伍)》的“古文虞”字説毛公鼎和殷墟甲骨文的有關諸字

Forms:

吴 - Alternative form. Standard form in PRC.

呉 - Alternative form. Standard form in Japan.

Alternative form of 吳. Standard form in PRC.

吹¹

{吹} *[tʰ]o[r] “to blow”

Initially the word {吹} was written as 炊. Later the left element was replaced with 口 MOUTH.

• 陳聞達 2024 - 說“足”字的形體來源兼論相關問題

吹²

{欠} *kʰams “to yawn”

Either 口 MOUTH + shortened ♪坎 *KƏM or shortened form of 𲊩 (口 MOUTH + 𮲾 (distorted form of 𬔧 created for {贛} *kʰˤəmʔ “to bestow”)).

• 布之道 2025 - 說字小記(一)

吹³

Shang (Shi-Bin)	Shang	Shang (Shi-Bin)	Early W.Zhou	Late W.Zhou
合9359	英2674正	合9362	集5428.1	集9695.1

{足} *[ts]ok “to fulfill”

Unclear. A person with an open mouth (欠) facing mouth (口), sometimes with some particles. The modern form is a liding.

• 陳聞達 2024 - 說“足”字的形體來源兼論相關問題

{鑪/鋁} *rˤa “type of metal” ♪→ {呂} *[r]aʔ “six yin tones”

Depiction of two metal ingots.

• 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (603-604)
• 林志強 & al. (ed.) 2017 - 《文源》評注 (26-27)

Forms:

吕 - Alternative form. Standard form in PRC.

Alternative form of 吳. Standard form in Japan.

告¹

Shang (Shi)	Shang (Bin)	Shang (He)	Middle W.Zhou	Qin	W.Han	E.Han	Nanbei (E.Wei)
合20577	合891正	合補8726	集4293	睡.日乙194	武.甲服8	曹全碑	南0466X

{告} *kˤuks “to report”

Shortened 壴 DRUM + differentiative 口.

• 陳美蘭 2013 - 說“告”

告²

?{造} *(mə.)tsʰˤus “to go to”

♪屮 *TSU + differentiative 口.

• 陳劍 2006 - 釋造

?{琱/彫} *tˤiw “engrave (on jade)” ♪→ {周} *tiw “Zhou”

𱖆 (probably a depiction of jade ware with engravings on it for {琱/彫}) + differentiative 口.

• 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (99-100)

Shang (Shi)	Shang (Li)	Early W.Zhou	Middle W.Zhou	Chunqiu (Qin)	Zhanguo (Qin)	Qin	E.Han	Nanbei (N.Wei)	Tang
合19957正	屯3898	集2763.1	集6516	集證59	集11394	嶽一.質7	張君碑	南0420A	開石.禮記32

{咸} *[ɡ]ˤr[ə]mʔ “to kill” ♪→ {咸} *[ɡ]ˤr[ə]m “all”

戌 BATTLE AXE + differentiative 口.

• 林志強 & al. (ed.) 2017 - 《文源》評注 (421)

Shang (Shi)	Shang (Bin)	Early W.Zhou	Chunqiu (Qin)	Qin	E.Han	Nanbei (N.Wei)	Tang
合20592	合10978	集5861	石鼓.車工	睡.爲29	尚博殘碑	憻賓墓誌	九經字樣

{圓} *[w]ran “round” ♪→ {員} *[w]ran “member”

鼎 CAULDRON (because of its roundness) (> 貝) + ♪〇² *[W]AN.

• 裘錫圭 2013 - 文字學概要 [2nd ed.] [2021 form.] (157)

Shang (Bin)	Shang (Bin)	Zhanguo (Chu)	Tang
合17599反	合5574	清二.繫年138	九經字樣

{喦/讘} *nep “talkative”

Depiction of a person (人) with three mouths (口). Later shortened to the upper part.

• 裘錫圭 1989 - 說“喦”“嚴”