wèi

guard

Simplified from . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. The component was deleted for simplification.

Components
韋 sound,remnant component

  Sound Remnant component

wéi

  

(surround a city), tanned leather

Remnant of , the sound component in .

行 meaning,deleted component

  Meaning Deleted component

xíngháng

  

walk

Evolution

卫 Bronze script Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze script

Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
卫 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
卫 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

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

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
卫 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
卫 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

wèi

guard, protect, defend; to guard; to protect; to defend; abbr. for 衛生|卫生, hygiene; health; abbr. for 衛生間|卫生间, toilet

() 

Wèi

surname Wei; vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1066-221 BC), located in present day Henan and Hebei Provinces

Most common words with 卫
Freq.
Word
Meaning

卫生

health

卫星

moon

大卫

David (name)

to guard

保卫

to defend