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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

Chinese

力

lì
physical strength; physical power; energy
  • Pictogram
  • HSK 3
  • TOCFL 5
  • radical 力
  • 2 strokes

Etymology graph

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  • borrowed
  • derived
  • parts
  • meaning component
  • sound component
  • related
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Origin

Pictogram (象形) – alternative interpretation, either an arm bending out from the side of the body, or a wooden plough.

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k-ra (“strength; to win; classifier for people”) + *-k (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Burmese အား (a:, “strength; force”); Proto-Loloish *ra² (“strength”), whence Nuosu ꊋ (we); Panyi Bai [script needed] (ɣɯ̱⁴², “strength”); Central Bai hhep (“strength”). A causative derivative is 飭 (OC rhək) (Schuessler, 2007).

Schuessler (2007) also suggests an etymological connection with 來 (OC *m·rɯːɡ, “to come”).

From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Lineage

  • partChinese丿 “left-falling stroke, usually read as 撇”
  • inheritedProto-Sino-Tibetan*k-ra “strength; to win; classifier for people”
  • partChinese㇆

Related: Burmese အား, Proto-Loloish *ra², Nuosu ꊋ, Central Bai hhep

Words built on it: 男, 加, 動, 能力, 辦, 力量, 努力, 巧克力, 助, 勝, 務, 精力

Meanings

character
  1. physical strength; physical power; energy
  2. force; strength; power
  3. force
  4. ability; capability
  5. power and influence; might
  6. to make an effort; to strive; to endeavor; to work hard

Shuowen Jiezi 說文解字

力：筋也。象人筋之形。治功曰力，能圉大災。凡力之屬皆从力。

Xu Shen, c. 100 CE — the first analytical dictionary of Chinese characters.

國語辭典 definitions

  1. 改變物體運動狀態（靜止或運行速度）的效能稱為「力」，計算單位為「牛頓」。 例： 動力、離心力、地心引力
  2. 人和動物體內筋肉運動所產生的效能。 例：臂力、體力
  3. 事物所具有的效能或作用。 例：火力、風力、水力
  4. 才能、能力。 例：智力、實力、理解力
  5. 權勢。 例：權力
  6. 盡其所能的。 例：據理力爭、力拚到底

© Ministry of Education, Taiwan — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW, shown unaltered.

How 力 was written 字形演變

  1. 力 in Oracle bone script
    Oracle bone
    甲骨文
    Shang, c. 1250–1050 BCE
  2. 力 in Bronze script
    Bronze
    金文
    Shang–Zhou
  3. 力 in Chu slips & silk script
    Chu slips & silk
    楚系簡帛
    Warring States
  4. 力 in Qin slips script
    Qin slips
    秦系簡牘
    Qin
  5. 力 in Small seal script
    Small seal
    說文小篆
    Shuowen, c. 100 CE
  6. 力 in Regular script
    Regular
    楷書
    since c. 200 CE

Historical forms collected by the legacy etymfun dataset; most characters have several attested variants.

Sources

  • Structural decomposition (chaizi) — See upstream
  • Historical glyph forms (zdic.net 字形演变) — Rights unverified
  • HSK / TOCFL word lists — Facts (levels)
  • 教育部《國語辭典簡編本》 (Taiwan MOE) — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW
  • 說文解字 Shuowen Jiezi (Xu Shen, c. 100 CE) — Public domain
  • Written form — n/a
  • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Wiktionary: 力