mìng

life

Original meaning: 

command

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound and meaning. Based on the original meaning "command". The meaning later shifted to "fate" and "life".

Components
口 meaning component

  Meaning component

kǒu

  

mouth

令 sound,meaning component

  Sound Meaning component

lìnglínglǐng

  

command

also serves as a meaning component.

Evolution

命 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
命 Bronze script Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze script

Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
命 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
命 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
命 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

mìng

life; destiny, fate, luck; an order, instruction; fate; order or command; to assign a name, title etc

Most common words with 命
Freq.
Word
Meaning

生命

living being

life

革命

revolution

命令

order

命运

fate