yàn

to entertain

Original meaning: 

peace and happiness

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "peace and happiness". The meaning later shifted to "banquet", "feast", and "to entertain".

Components
宀 meaning component

  Meaning component

mián

  

roof

Represents being peaceful at home.

妟 sound component

  Sound component

yàn

  

safe

Evolution

宴 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
宴 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

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

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
宴 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

yàn

to entertain, feast; a feast, banquet; feast; repose

() 

yàn

variant of [yàn]

Most common words with 宴
Freq.
Word
Meaning

宴会

banquet

晚宴

banquet

feast

盛宴

feast

宴席

banquet