Depicts a type of fruit with something cut off from it. The component that depicts the fruit was later reanalyzed as phonetic component 匃. Based on the original meaning "cut fruit". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Components
匃 Phonetic component
gài beggar (archaic)
beggar
Originally depicted a type of fruit. Later reanalyzed as phonetic component 匃.
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Historical Evolution
曷
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
曷
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
曷
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
曷
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
曷
Regular
Modern
Chinese
曷 [hé]
why; how; when; what; where
Example Sentences