jī
chickens
Originally was a pictograph of a chicken. Later changed to a phonosemantic compound of 奚 and 隹 (bird).
Evolution

Oracle script
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze script
Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Seal script
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical script
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)Regular script
ModernMost common words with 雞
Freq. | Word | Meaning |
---|---|---|
fowl | ||
(chicken) egg | ||
chicken meat | ||
turkey | ||
cocktail (loanword) |
Sources