Dong Chinese dictionary

xíng

punishment

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 井 represents the sound.

Components

井 Sound component

jǐng

well

Modern form looks like 开.

Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 井 than it was in ancient scripts.

刂 Meaning component

dāo

knife

刂 is a component form of 刀.

Evolution

Bronze script

Spring and Autumn (771-476 BC)

Seal script

Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

xíng

punishment, penalty; law; punishment; penalty; sentence; torture; corporal punishment

Xíng

surname Xing

Most common words with 刑

Freq.	Word	Meaning
	死刑	death penalty
	刑事	criminal
	刑	penalty
	刑警	criminal police
	有期徒刑	limited term of imprisonment (i.e. anything less than life imprisonment)

Component uses

Sound component in 2 characters (1 verified)

Sources