剪 (jiǎn) — to cut with shears, clip, trim; noun

entries → 剪

TSUMUGU · B1 (est.) · 字

剪 character · B1 (est.)

剪＝刀＋前

ㄐㄧㄢˇ · jiǎn

verb — to cut with shears, clip, trim; noun — scissors

字源 FORM — what the parts do

刀義a knife — set under the blades

前聲qián — gives the sound

ITqián → jiǎn — initial and tone both shift

A knife (刀) under 前 — two blades crossing to shear cloth and hair, 剪刀、剪髮、剪報. 前 qián carries the sound, shifted to jiǎn; the same donor seeds 箭、煎.

意 · Meanings

(本義)剪、剪斷— to cut with shears常用

→剪刀、剪髮— scissors; to clip

⇒剪報、剪輯— to clip out; to edit

(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension