Dong Chinese dictionary

guài

parted

Original meaning:

thumb ring

Depicts a hand (又) wearing a thumb ring. Thumb rings are typically used for archery to protect the archer's thumb when pulling back on the bowstring. Based on the original meaning "thumb ring". The meaning later shifted to "parted".

Components

◎ Iconic component

characterless component

Depicts a thumb ring.

又 Iconic component

yòu

(hand), again

Depicts a hand.

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

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

夬

guài

parted; fork; certain; decisive

Component uses

Meaning component in 3 characters (0 verified)

訣诀抉

Sound component in 12 characters (5 verified)

Sources

MTSU Chinese text computing

季旭昇《說文新證》p.203-204

Wikipedia