qiàn

moat

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components
土 meaning component

  Meaning component

  

earth

斩 sound component

  Sound component

zhǎn

  

chop

Evolution

堑 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
堑 Seal script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
堑 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
堑 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

qiàn

moat, trench, pit, cavity; moat around a city

Most common words with 堑
Freq.
Word
Meaning

moat around a city

路堑

(civil engineering) cutting (for a railway or highway)

地堑

trench, rift valley