<p>On <a href="http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en" rel="nofollow">http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en</a> you can see how a character evolved, the simplified and traditional characters. For example for <a href="http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&amp;char=%E7%9B%AE" rel="nofollow">目</a>.</p>

<p>Another similar website is <a href="http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx</a> . Their result for <a href="http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx?submitButton1=Etymology&amp;characterInput=%E7%9B%AE" rel="nofollow">目</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net" rel="nofollow">Zdict</a> is completely in Chinese: <a href="http://www.zdic.net/zd/zi/ZdicE7Zdic9BZdicAE.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.zdic.net/zd/zi/ZdicE7Zdic9BZdicAE.htm</a></p>

<p>Here is another website in Chinese (that only supports transitional characters): <a href="http://alphads10-2.hkbu.edu.hk/~lcprichi/" rel="nofollow">http://alphads10-2.hkbu.edu.hk/~lcprichi/</a></p>

<p>As Aristide mentioned <a href="http://www.yellowbridge.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.yellowbridge.com</a> has similar functionality.</p>

<p>Another one is <a href="http://chinese-characters.org/" rel="nofollow">http://chinese-characters.org/</a></p>

<p>Although it doesn't show how the characters evolved, I also like <a href="http://zhongwen.com" rel="nofollow">http://zhongwen.com</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-21T18:10:50.323Z
+1 for mentioning yellowbridge... I've been using that forever for etymology-related questions.
user3871
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-04T13:37:04.440Z
2013-02-22T09:56:49.870Z
2013-02-22T09:56:49.870Z
BertR
<p>It may be on <a href="http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/character-etymology.php?searchChinese=1&amp;zi=%E7%9B%AE" rel="nofollow">yellowbridge.com</a>, where the etymology tab includes notes on character formation.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-04T14:48:08.107Z
2012-07-04T19:49:34.173Z
2012-07-04T19:49:34.173Z
Aristide
<p>Chinese text is divided into "象形字" and "象声字"，
like a shape or a sound</p>

<p>you can see this: <a href="http://pipi275.blog.sohu.com/101889641.html" rel="nofollow">http://pipi275.blog.sohu.com/101889641.html</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-27T09:33:52.743Z
2012-12-27T09:33:52.743Z
Blade Master
<p>Ehy I found it: <a href="http://chinese-characters.org" rel="nofollow">http://chinese-characters.org</a>, in my opinion there's no rival so far, if you look at it it has ancient and archaic variations of each symbol...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-30T21:08:32.893Z
2013-02-20T21:01:43.333Z
2013-02-20T21:01:43.333Z
user9948
<p>I once found a Mandarin Chinese dictionary which for each character listed the ancient, the traditional and the simplified Chinese characters. For each it described its meaning and how it developed into the current form. I cannot find it or anything similar anymore. The most I can find are sites which explain radicals of each character but not actual ancient symbols and variations.</p>

<p>For instance, the word "eye" was shown as a pictogram resembling an eye, then into the traditional and then into 目 explaining "a simplified eye turned 90°".</p>

<p>I know not all characters are made this way but again, maybe it was a dictionary of radicals but it was very good.</p>

<mandarin><etymology><glyph-origin><radicals><dictionary>
What was this online dictionary's name with ancient traditional and simplified characters and glyph origins?
# What was this online dictionary's name with ancient traditional and simplified characters and glyph origins?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-07-04)

I once found a Mandarin Chinese dictionary which for each character listed the ancient, the traditional and the simplified Chinese characters. For each it described its meaning and how it developed into the current form. I cannot find it or anything similar anymore. The most I can find are sites which explain radicals of each character but not actual ancient symbols and variations.

For instance, the word "eye" was shown as a pictogram resembling an eye, then into the traditional and then into 目 explaining "a simplified eye turned 90°".

I know not all characters are made this way but again, maybe it was a dictionary of radicals but it was very good.

**Tags:** mandarin, etymology, glyph-origin, radicals, dictionary

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-07-04. Score: 6

On <http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en> you can see how a character evolved, the simplified and traditional characters. For example for [目](http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&char=%E7%9B%AE).

Another similar website is <http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx> . Their result for [目](http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx?submitButton1=Etymology&characterInput=%E7%9B%AE).

[Zdict](http://www.zdic.net) is completely in Chinese: <http://www.zdic.net/zd/zi/ZdicE7Zdic9BZdicAE.htm>

Here is another website in Chinese (that only supports transitional characters): <http://alphads10-2.hkbu.edu.hk/~lcprichi/>

As Aristide mentioned <http://www.yellowbridge.com> has similar functionality.

Another one is <http://chinese-characters.org/>

Although it doesn't show how the characters evolved, I also like <http://zhongwen.com>

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: +1 for mentioning yellowbridge... I've been using that forever for etymology-related questions.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-07-04. Score: 2

It may be on [yellowbridge.com](http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/character-etymology.php?searchChinese=1&zi=%E7%9B%AE), where the etymology tab includes notes on character formation.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-12-27. Score: 1

Chinese text is divided into "象形字" and "象声字"，
like a shape or a sound

you can see this: <http://pipi275.blog.sohu.com/101889641.html>


---

### Answer by username_0 on 2012-07-30. Score: 1

Ehy I found it: <http://chinese-characters.org>, in my opinion there's no rival so far, if you look at it it has ancient and archaic variations of each symbol...


---

