qiàn
moat
Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 斩 represents the sound. Simplified form of 塹.
Evolution

Seal script
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal script
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)Traditional script
ModernSimplified script
ModernMost common words with 堑
Freq. | Word | Meaning |
---|---|---|
moat around a city | ||
(civil engineering) cutting (for a railway or highway) | ||
trench, rift valley |