Character etymology for newbie "Pretty Clothes" 你

mandarinboy
 September 12, 2008, 04:07 AM posted in General Discussion

I like the explanation for this character. It is so logical once you see it.

Character: 你

Pinyin: nǐ

Meaning: You

HSK level: 1 (basic)

Frequency: 38

Strokes: 7   

Radical part: 人 亻

Alternative shapes of radical: 人 亻

Radical meaning: man; people; mankind; someone

Stroke animation: (the strokes are drawn the direction the picture is tipping)

 

 

Stroke order: http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/character-stroke-order.php?searchChinese=1&zi=%E4%BC%B1

Etymology: In the original form the right part where an pictograph of a balace loaded with equaly load on both sides. This is now simplified but we can still se the balancer and the load hanging down on each side. By adding the person radical we get something that balances and is about persons = you. An equal person( equal weight) to you self is another person. 

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changye
 September 08, 2008, 07:02 AM

I hear that the character 你 originated in 爾 (er2, you), and 爾 was simplified into 尔 and (* ) first, and later 伱 appeared around the era of 秦朝 (Qin dynasty), and after that 你 began to be used around the 南北朝 era (5～6th century AD), so you can say that “爾 ＞ 尔 and (* ) ＞ 伱 ＞ 你” in chronological order.

Interestingly enough, ancient personal pronouns “you” commonly had the consonant “n” in 上古音 (readings before 汉朝), e.g., 爾 (nier), 女 (niag), 汝 (niag), 而 (niog), 若 (niak), 乃 (nog), 戎 (niong), which suggests a possibility that they are all originated in one word that meant “you” and had the consonant “n”.

And therefore, I guess that all these characters used for “you” in ancient Chinese were perhaps only transliterations from one “mother” word than meant “you” in China a very long time ago. Having said that, the combination of the man radical “人” and a balance “尔” is also very plausible and appealing.

(* ) = the right part of the character 伱.