Glyph Origins

Radical ⼟ (32)

土 (U+571F)

{土} *tʰˤaʔ “earth; soil”

Depiction of a pile of earth.

  • 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (906)

在 (U+5728)

Shang
(Bin)
Shang
(Chu)
Early
W.Zhou
Late
W.Zhou
QinHanE.HanNanbei
(E.Wei)
合371反英1989集5983近出43睡.爲13虛3551漢0097X元湛墓誌

{在} *[dz]ˤəʔ “to exist”

*TSƏ + ♪ *TSƏ.

  • 劉釗 2011 - 古文字構形學 [2nd ed.] (83-84)
  • 季旭昇 2014 - 說文新證 [2nd ed.] (908)

坎 (U+574E)

{坎} *kʰˤəmʔ “pit”

Shortened form of ⿰章⿱欠土 ( EARTH +♪𮲾 *KƏM (distorted form of 𬔧 created for {贛} *kʰˤəmʔ “to bestow”)).

  • 布之道 2025 - 說字小記(一)

垂 (U+5782)

Nanbei
(N.Wei)
Nanbei
(N.Wei)
TangMing
慈慶墓誌
[𡸁]
鄭黑墓誌五經文字字彙

{陲} *[d]o[j] “frontier” ♪→ {垂} *[d]o[j] “to hang down”

𡸁 *TOJ with the lower part replaced with EARTH.

  • 李學勤 (ed.) 2012 - 字源 (1195)

塞 (U+585E)

QinW.HanHanE.HanNanbei
(N.Wei)
里耶8-461正馬.相56居舊239.36曹全碑李媛墓誌

{塞} *[s]ˤək “to block up” or {塞} *[s]ˤəks “fortress”

EARTH + ♪𡫳 *SƏK.

  • 于省吾 1979 - 甲骨文字釋林・釋𡫳