<p>「省」 means <em>graphically reduced</em>, i.e. not the entire structure of the component is incorporated.</p>
<p>The given definition largely comes from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Shuōwén jiězì</em></a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《說文》：“喬，高而曲也。从夭，从高省。《詩》曰：‘南有喬木。’”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and since <em>Shuōwén jiězì</em> descriptions are linked to <em>Shuōwén</em> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">small seal script</a> shapes, by looking at these shapes the description would make more sense.</p>
<p><kbd>　<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/gG1lE.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/gG1lE.png" alt="喬" /></a><br>　</kbd><kbd>　<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/olMIC.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/olMIC.png" alt="夭" /></a><br>　</kbd><kbd>　<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/HiJFQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/HiJFQ.png" alt="高" /></a><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>Basically, <em>Shuōwén</em> thinks that 「喬」 is 「夭」 on top of 「高」 with its top 「亠」 removed, hence its description of the 「高」 part as <em>graphically reduced</em> (省).</p>
<hr />
<blockquote>
<p>To my understanding, when a character is of the 会意 type, part of the character might be both phonetic and symbolic.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No, 「會意」 means <em>compound semantic</em>, that is, all components hint at meaning. If something is simultaneously a semantic and phonetic component, the literature normally says something like 「从Ｘ从Ｙ、Ｙ亦聲」, e.g.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《說文》：“墨，書墨也。从土，从黑，黑亦聲。”</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p>By the way, that description</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《說文》：“喬，高而曲也。从夭，从高省。《詩》曰：‘南有喬木。’”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>is incorrect, 「夭」 does not give a meaning hint in 「喬」, and is the result of graphical corruption.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-22T04:24:40.663Z
So does the Shuowen description contract its mistake from the fact that its definition for 喬 is  “高而曲也”? Does 曲 mean frail or misshapen or something like that in this case?
explicitEllipticGroupAction
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-22T04:37:26.447Z
@DavidDong I didn't want to add details as that detracts from the main Q&A, if you're interested you could ask a separate question like "Glyph origins of 「喬」".
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-22T02:47:30.627Z
2021-02-22T02:47:30.627Z
dROOOze
<p>I went on <a href="http://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B9%94" rel="nofollow noreferrer">zdic.net</a> to find out about 乔. It says in the 详细 section,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>会意。从夭，从高省，高亦声。夭，象人(大)行走的样子。本义:高</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To my understanding, when a character is of the 会意 type, part of the character might be both phonetic and symbolic. So according to this, 乔 is derived from 夭 and 高, where 高 also provides a phonetic component (since the traditional script writes 喬). What I don't understand is the usage of 省 in 从高省.</p>
<p>It must mean something, or else my understanding of the description could simply be written as 从夭，高亦声, so what am I missing?</p>

<meaning><meaning-in-context>
What is the meaning of 省 in character breakdown
# What is the meaning of 省 in character breakdown

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-22)

I went on [zdic.net](http://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B9%94) to find out about 乔. It says in the 详细 section,

> 会意。从夭，从高省，高亦声。夭，象人(大)行走的样子。本义:高

To my understanding, when a character is of the 会意 type, part of the character might be both phonetic and symbolic. So according to this, 乔 is derived from 夭 and 高, where 高 also provides a phonetic component (since the traditional script writes 喬). What I don't understand is the usage of 省 in 从高省.

It must mean something, or else my understanding of the description could simply be written as 从夭，高亦声, so what am I missing?

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-02-22. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

「省」 means *graphically reduced*, i.e. not the entire structure of the component is incorporated.

The given definition largely comes from [*Shuōwén jiězì*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi):

> 《說文》：“喬，高而曲也。从夭，从高省。《詩》曰：‘南有喬木。’”

and since *Shuōwén jiězì* descriptions are linked to *Shuōwén* [small seal script](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script) shapes, by looking at these shapes the description would make more sense.

`![喬](https://i.sstatic.net/gG1lE.png)``![夭](https://i.sstatic.net/olMIC.png)``![高](https://i.sstatic.net/HiJFQ.png)`

Basically, *Shuōwén* thinks that 「喬」 is 「夭」 on top of 「高」 with its top 「亠」 removed, hence its description of the 「高」 part as *graphically reduced* (省).

---

> To my understanding, when a character is of the 会意 type, part of the character might be both phonetic and symbolic.

No, 「會意」 means *compound semantic*, that is, all components hint at meaning. If something is simultaneously a semantic and phonetic component, the literature normally says something like 「从Ｘ从Ｙ、Ｙ亦聲」, e.g.

> 《說文》：“墨，書墨也。从土，从黑，黑亦聲。”

---

By the way, that description

> 《說文》：“喬，高而曲也。从夭，从高省。《詩》曰：‘南有喬木。’”

is incorrect, 「夭」 does not give a meaning hint in 「喬」, and is the result of graphical corruption.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So does the Shuowen description contract its mistake from the fact that its definition for 喬 is  “高而曲也”? Does 曲 mean frail or misshapen or something like that in this case?  
> **username_1**: @DavidDong I didn't want to add details as that detracts from the main Q&A, if you're interested you could ask a separate question like "Glyph origins of 「喬」".  

---

