<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MihTQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MihTQ.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a> <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QZB5y.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QZB5y.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<ol>
<li><p>無紛亂亦曰靜 - &quot;No Chaos&quot; also called &quot;靜&quot;</p>
</li>
<li><p>安靜本字當從立部之竫 - character '靜' in '安靜' (quiet) originally was '竫'</p>
</li>
<li><p>靜</p>
</li>
<li><p>審也 - to define</p>
</li>
<li><p>丹青明審也 - 丹(color of south) + 青 (color of East) = 明審(clearly defined)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>~</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The character 靜 is made up of 青 and 爭. Both semantic and phonetic component</p>
</li>
<li><p>The 青 component in 靜 represents 丹青 -- (青 is color of the East; 丹 is color of the south. 丹 + 青 = clearly defined)</p>
</li>
<li><p>靜 has the extended meaning of 審 (to define; make clear) and 爭 is the phonetic component</p>
</li>
<li><p><em>&quot;No Chaos&quot; also called &quot;靜&quot;</em> -- when chaos is sorted out, we get tranquilness - [青(clear)爭(chaos)]</p>
</li>
<li><p>The original character for 靜 in 清靜 (quiet) was 竫</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-06T17:59:21.057Z
2020-10-06T18:05:59.237Z
2020-10-06T18:05:59.237Z
Tang Ho
<p>Indeed, 「靜」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Zhengzhang_(1981%E2%80%931995)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zhengzhang OC</a>: <strong>/*zleŋʔ/</strong>, <em>calm/quiet</em>) is a phonetic loan character, and both its components 「青」 (<strong>/*sʰleːŋ/</strong>) and 「爭」 (<strong>/*ʔsreːŋ/</strong>) are phonetic components.</p>
<hr />
<p>Unfortunately, the inscription record is rather scarce and by itself may not actually represent the language that well. Based on the usage of 「靜」, the meaning <em>calm/quiet</em> may have been a semantic extension from the meaning <em>pacify</em> (<strong>/*zleŋʔ/</strong>, now written 「靖」)*. From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gui_(vessel)" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Guǐ</em> vessel</a> of Máo Bān [毛班] (班簋,《殷周金文集成》4341):
<br><sub>*Note how 「靖」 actually has the same reconstructed sound as 「靜」, indicating that there is a strong possibility that they're the same word.</sub></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/piGXK.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/piGXK.png" alt="班簋" /></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>。。。。。。王令毛公㠯（以）邦（冢）君，土（徒），（馭），⿰⿱口十戈（戜）人伐東或（國、域）㾶（滑）戎。咸。王令吳白（伯）曰：“㠯乃（師）⿸口（左）比毛父。”王令呂白曰：“㠯乃（右）比毛父。”⿻夭遣（遣）令曰：”㠯乃族從父征。“⿰彳⿱止口（城）衛父身，三秂（年） <strong><code>靜</code></strong> 東或，亾（無）不成⿱白尤（尤），天（畏 &gt; 威），否（丕）⿱甶大（畀）屯（純）陟。。。。。。</p>
<p><em>...The King</em> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Mu_of_Zhou" rel="nofollow noreferrer">King Mù of Zhōu</a>) <em>ordered Máo Bān to command the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengjian" rel="nofollow noreferrer">vassals</a> and their infantry, chariots, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliaries" rel="nofollow noreferrer">auxiliaries</a> to attack the tribes of the eastern regions in armed rebellion. Thus it is so. The King ordered the Vassal of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wú</a>: &quot;Lead your troops in assistance of Elder General Máo</em> (Máo Bān's father) <em>from the left side.&quot; The King ordered the Vassal of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BC_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lǚ</a>: &quot;Lead your troops in assistance of Elder General Máo from the right side.&quot; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Guo" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Duke Chéng</a></em> (虢城公遣) <em>ordered Máo Bān: &quot;Lead your clansmen to closely follow the expedition of Elder General Máo.&quot; Thus, I</em> (Máo Bān, caster of this vessel) <em>firmly guarded my father in this expedition. In three years, the eastern regions were <strong>pacified</strong>, and not once have I committed a military blunder. By the might and grace of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Heaven</a>, who has bestowed me these rewards, I have risen to this great position...</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since the usage speaks of <em>military pacification</em>, one might analyse 「靜」 (<strong>/*zleŋʔ/</strong>, <em>to pacify</em>) to be comprised of simultaneously semantic and phonetic 「爭」 (<strong>/*ʔsreːŋ/</strong>, <em>to fight, contend</em>) and phonetic 「青」 (<strong>/*sʰleːŋ/</strong>). <em>Military pacification</em> was later extended to mean <em>peace, calm, quiet</em>.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》</li>
<li>季旭昇《說文新證》</li>
<li>劉翔・陳抗・陳初生・董琨　編　李學勤　審訂《商周古文字讀本》</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-06T16:39:29.357Z
2020-10-07T06:03:41.097Z
2020-10-07T06:03:41.097Z
dROOOze
<p>静 is another character that has confused me. 青 (green/blue) doesn't seem to be related to quietness or stillness, unless the colors are supposed to represent quietness?
争 (fight) certainly is not quiet at all! However both 青 and 争 seem to fit as a phonetic component. Wondering how did this character come about? Is this another phonetic loan character?</p>

<etymology><character-components>
Origin of double phonetic component 静
# Origin of double phonetic component 静

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-06)

静 is another character that has confused me. 青 (green/blue) doesn't seem to be related to quietness or stillness, unless the colors are supposed to represent quietness?
争 (fight) certainly is not quiet at all! However both 青 and 争 seem to fit as a phonetic component. Wondering how did this character come about? Is this another phonetic loan character?

**Tags:** etymology, character-components

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-10-06. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

Indeed, 「靜」 ([Zhengzhang OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Zhengzhang_(1981%E2%80%931995)): **/\*zleŋʔ/**, *calm/quiet*) is a phonetic loan character, and both its components 「青」 (**/\*sʰleːŋ/**) and 「爭」 (**/\*ʔsreːŋ/**) are phonetic components.

---

Unfortunately, the inscription record is rather scarce and by itself may not actually represent the language that well. Based on the usage of 「靜」, the meaning *calm/quiet* may have been a semantic extension from the meaning *pacify* (**/\*zleŋʔ/**, now written 「靖」)\*. From [*Guǐ* vessel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gui_(vessel)) of Máo Bān [毛班] (班簋,《殷周金文集成》4341):
  
\*Note how 「靖」 actually has the same reconstructed sound as 「靜」, indicating that there is a strong possibility that they're the same word.

[![班簋](https://i.sstatic.net/piGXK.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/piGXK.png)

> 。。。。。。王令毛公㠯（以）邦（冢）君，土（徒），（馭），⿰⿱口十戈（戜）人伐東或（國、域）㾶（滑）戎。咸。王令吳白（伯）曰：“㠯乃（師）⿸口（左）比毛父。”王令呂白曰：“㠯乃（右）比毛父。”⿻夭遣（遣）令曰：”㠯乃族從父征。“⿰彳⿱止口（城）衛父身，三秂（年） **`靜`** 東或，亾（無）不成⿱白尤（尤），天（畏 > 威），否（丕）⿱甶大（畀）屯（純）陟。。。。。。
>
> *...The King* ([King Mù of Zhōu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Mu_of_Zhou)) *ordered Máo Bān to command the [vassals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengjian) and their infantry, chariots, and [auxiliaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliaries) to attack the tribes of the eastern regions in armed rebellion. Thus it is so. The King ordered the Vassal of [Wú](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_(state)): "Lead your troops in assistance of Elder General Máo* (Máo Bān's father) *from the left side." The King ordered the Vassal of [Lǚ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BC_(state)): "Lead your troops in assistance of Elder General Máo from the right side." [Duke Chéng](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Guo)* (虢城公遣) *ordered Máo Bān: "Lead your clansmen to closely follow the expedition of Elder General Máo." Thus, I* (Máo Bān, caster of this vessel) *firmly guarded my father in this expedition. In three years, the eastern regions were **pacified**, and not once have I committed a military blunder. By the might and grace of [Heaven](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian), who has bestowed me these rewards, I have risen to this great position...*

Since the usage speaks of *military pacification*, one might analyse 「靜」 (**/\*zleŋʔ/**, *to pacify*) to be comprised of simultaneously semantic and phonetic 「爭」 (**/\*ʔsreːŋ/**, *to fight, contend*) and phonetic 「青」 (**/\*sʰleːŋ/**). *Military pacification* was later extended to mean *peace, calm, quiet*.

---

**References:**

* 中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》
* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* 劉翔・陳抗・陳初生・董琨　編　李學勤　審訂《商周古文字讀本》


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### Answer by username_1 on 2020-10-06. Score: 0

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/MihTQ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/MihTQ.png) [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/QZB5y.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/QZB5y.png)

1. 無紛亂亦曰靜 - "No Chaos" also called "靜"
2. 安靜本字當從立部之竫 - character '靜' in '安靜' (quiet) originally was '竫'
3. 靜
4. 審也 - to define
5. 丹青明審也 - 丹(color of south) + 青 (color of East) = 明審(clearly defined)

~

* The character 靜 is made up of 青 and 爭. Both semantic and phonetic component
* The 青 component in 靜 represents 丹青 -- (青 is color of the East; 丹 is color of the south. 丹 + 青 = clearly defined)
* 靜 has the extended meaning of 審 (to define; make clear) and 爭 is the phonetic component
* *"No Chaos" also called "靜"* -- when chaos is sorted out, we get tranquilness - [青(clear)爭(chaos)]
* The original character for 靜 in 清靜 (quiet) was 竫


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