<blockquote>
<p>将 before a verb is functioning as a [modal verb]: 'will / will soon'</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>(将)回家 = (will) go home</p>
<p>(将)死 = (will) die/ will die (soon)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>将/把 before a noun is functioning as a [depositive marker] that marks the noun to be deposited by the verb</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>打死他 (beat him to death)</p>
<p>将他打死 (take him, and beat to death) - 将 marks 他 as the object that's being deposited by the verb 打死</p>
<blockquote>
<p>将 <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%87" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%87</a></p>
<p>Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *ʔsaŋ, *ʔsaŋs): phonetic 爿 (OC *braːn, *zaŋ, “bed; small table”) + semantic ⺼ (“meat”) + semantic 寸 (“hand”) – &gt;to offer meat as tribute by putting it on the table.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>&quot;to offer meat&quot; is to &quot;deposit the meat' that's how 将 acquired the function of [depositive marker] that marks object to be deposited of</p>
<p>Just read the article at <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%87" rel="nofollow noreferrer">WiKi</a></p>
<p>Stumpy Joe Pete wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>how did the &quot;to want, to wish, to approach&quot; meaning come to be attached to that character? Did it come about later, or have both meanings been attached to the same character/pronunciation as far back as we can go?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>from Sino-Tibetan root:</p>
<p>⺼ (“meat”) +  寸 (“hand”) is the semantic component of 將 . It describes the action of handling a piece of meat; 爿 (table) is a semantic + phonetic component of 將.</p>
<p>The original meaning of the character 將 meant &quot;to offer meat as a tribute to gods by putting it on the table&quot;</p>
<p>The action of 將 described (put meat on the table) acquired the function of [depositive marker] later</p>
<p>From Austroasiatic root:</p>
<p>&quot;Khmer ចង់ &quot;  (to want, to wish, to approach) was imported to Chinese language in ancient time, and the existing character 將 was loaned to express this word for phonetic  reason. Since  &quot;to want, to wish&quot; is related to future event. meaning of the modal verb &quot;will&quot; was added to 將 later</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-11T20:32:24.787Z
Tang Ho, my respects to you! But this answer is missing the question point. Please, check the P.S. part, I've added recently. Thnaks.
coobit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-11T21:40:34.163Z
Tang, how did the "to want, to wish, to approach" meaning come to be attached to that character? Did it come about later, or have both meanings been attached to the same character/pronunciation as far back as we can go?
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T01:21:25.650Z
Tang, the wiki article actually explains how these roots we're unrelated (not even same language group). Could you expand your answer, since that seems to be the crux of it?
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T01:39:18.663Z
@coobit I'm not sure what you're looking for; the Wiktionary page clearly states that they had two different etymologies (two different root words, if you will) that came to be written with one glyph. The meaning related to 把 is expressed with semantic components ⺼ and 寸, while the meaning related to 且 is cognate to 且. Since the glyph expresses its meaning through its semantic components, the first (oldest) meaning of 將 is related to 把, and the meaning related to 且 was a later phonetic loan.
dROOOze
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2018-09-12T02:29:31.857Z
@Stumpy Joe Pete Please read my edition at the bottom.
Tang Ho
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2018-09-12T03:23:51.443Z
Tang, did you read the article? It says the latter meaning is from Austroasiatic, not a Chinese language.
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T03:52:01.980Z
@Stumpy Joe Pete  It is likely Chinese language imported Austroasiatic rooted words in ancient time,  and the existing Chinese character 將 fit the "to want, to wish; to approach," meaning,  therefore the imported meaning of that imported word is added to the character
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T03:56:20.227Z
I think they chose on the basis of pronunciation
Stumpy Joe Pete
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2018-09-12T03:58:46.237Z
Ah, it is loaned base on similar phonic then
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-19T20:57:41.770Z
@coobit I think you are missing a point here: not every word in Chinese evolved from a single character. What Tang Ho is trying to say is, they had 将 meaning 把 and another "jiang" meaning future marker. Then they just said: hell, let's just use 将 as 把 and as a future marker.
Enrico Brasil
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-20T08:19:36.770Z
@Enrico Brasil I understand your point. But was hoping that in this particular case they hadn't just made things up :)
coobit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-11T20:30:27.653Z
2018-09-12T19:12:43.517Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>Any good logical theories on the subject? What twisted life must have 将 took to merge such functions into one glyph? </p>

<p>For my background <strong>将 as 把</strong>(to take) and <strong>将 as 且</strong>(further) are queit different in their meaning.</p>

<p>All linguistic articles on the subject are quite hard for me to read (all of them in chinese, of course). And usual books just give you rules but not how those rule originated in the first place.</p>

<p>P.S. Please don't tell me anything about 把, 且 or any other modern 将 equivalent. I'm interested in the evolution, the etymology of the functions of 将 and how they come to be so "perpendicular".</p>

<p>I know that 将 is like 把, it's almost similar, it's used in books more not in everyday talk and so on... </p>

<p>I care only about evolution, etymology. Thanks.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-11T19:45:29.340Z
re 将、且 see http://www.cilin.org/jyc/b_9744.html，re 将、把 of course there is much more，try web search "将和把 的区别"   e.g. https://www.italki.com/question/78183 https://www.zhihu.com/question/51076839
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-11T20:29:54.193Z
Thanks for links. No information about the development of 将 there :( Only description of modern meaning.
coobit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-11T21:11:13.013Z
suggestion search "Chinese historical grammar"
user6065
<grammar><etymology><old-chinese>
How come 将 is a "future marker" and a "passive marker"?
# How come 将 is a "future marker" and a "passive marker"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-11)

Any good logical theories on the subject? What twisted life must have 将 took to merge such functions into one glyph?

For my background **将 as 把**(to take) and **将 as 且**(further) are queit different in their meaning.

All linguistic articles on the subject are quite hard for me to read (all of them in chinese, of course). And usual books just give you rules but not how those rule originated in the first place.

P.S. Please don't tell me anything about 把, 且 or any other modern 将 equivalent. I'm interested in the evolution, the etymology of the functions of 将 and how they come to be so "perpendicular".

I know that 将 is like 把, it's almost similar, it's used in books more not in everyday talk and so on...

I care only about evolution, etymology. Thanks.

**Tags:** grammar, etymology, old-chinese
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: re 将、且 see http://www.cilin.org/jyc/b_9744.html，re 将、把 of course there is much more，try web search "将和把 的区别"   e.g. https://www.italki.com/question/78183 https://www.zhihu.com/question/51076839  
> **username_0**: Thanks for links. No information about the development of 将 there :( Only description of modern meaning.  
> **username_1**: suggestion search "Chinese historical grammar"  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-09-11. Score: 4

> 将 before a verb is functioning as a [modal verb]: 'will / will soon'

Example:

(将)回家 = (will) go home

(将)死 = (will) die/ will die (soon)

> 将/把 before a noun is functioning as a [depositive marker] that marks the noun to be deposited by the verb

Example:

打死他 (beat him to death)

将他打死 (take him, and beat to death) - 将 marks 他 as the object that's being deposited by the verb 打死

> 将 <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%87>
>
> Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC \*ʔsaŋ, \*ʔsaŋs): phonetic 爿 (OC \*braːn, \*zaŋ, “bed; small table”) + semantic ⺼ (“meat”) + semantic 寸 (“hand”) – >to offer meat as tribute by putting it on the table.

"to offer meat" is to "deposit the meat' that's how 将 acquired the function of [depositive marker] that marks object to be deposited of

Just read the article at [WiKi](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%87)

Stumpy Joe Pete wrote:

> how did the "to want, to wish, to approach" meaning come to be attached to that character? Did it come about later, or have both meanings been attached to the same character/pronunciation as far back as we can go?

from Sino-Tibetan root:

⺼ (“meat”) + 寸 (“hand”) is the semantic component of 將 . It describes the action of handling a piece of meat; 爿 (table) is a semantic + phonetic component of 將.

The original meaning of the character 將 meant "to offer meat as a tribute to gods by putting it on the table"

The action of 將 described (put meat on the table) acquired the function of [depositive marker] later

From Austroasiatic root:

"Khmer ចង់ " (to want, to wish, to approach) was imported to Chinese language in ancient time, and the existing character 將 was loaned to express this word for phonetic reason. Since "to want, to wish" is related to future event. meaning of the modal verb "will" was added to 將 later

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Tang Ho, my respects to you! But this answer is missing the question point. Please, check the P.S. part, I've added recently. Thnaks.  
> **username_3**: Tang, how did the "to want, to wish, to approach" meaning come to be attached to that character? Did it come about later, or have both meanings been attached to the same character/pronunciation as far back as we can go?  
> **username_3**: Tang, the wiki article actually explains how these roots we're unrelated (not even same language group). Could you expand your answer, since that seems to be the crux of it?  
> **username_4**: @coobit I'm not sure what you're looking for; the Wiktionary page clearly states that they had two different etymologies (two different root words, if you will) that came to be written with one glyph. The meaning related to 把 is expressed with semantic components ⺼ and 寸, while the meaning related to 且 is cognate to 且. Since the glyph expresses its meaning through its semantic components, the first (oldest) meaning of 將 is related to 把, and the meaning related to 且 was a later phonetic loan.  
> **username_2**: @Stumpy Joe Pete Please read my edition at the bottom.  
> **username_3**: Tang, did you read the article? It says the latter meaning is from Austroasiatic, not a Chinese language.  
> **username_2**: @Stumpy Joe Pete  It is likely Chinese language imported Austroasiatic rooted words in ancient time,  and the existing Chinese character 將 fit the "to want, to wish; to approach," meaning,  therefore the imported meaning of that imported word is added to the character  
> **username_3**: I think they chose on the basis of pronunciation  
> **username_2**: Ah, it is loaned base on similar phonic then  
> **username_5**: @coobit I think you are missing a point here: not every word in Chinese evolved from a single character. What Tang Ho is trying to say is, they had 将 meaning 把 and another "jiang" meaning future marker. Then they just said: hell, let's just use 将 as 把 and as a future marker.  
> **username_0**: @Enrico Brasil I understand your point. But was hoping that in this particular case they hadn't just made things up :)  

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