正

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, *teŋ): phonetic 丁 (*tˤeŋ) + semantic 止

Oracle bone and Shang–Zhou bronze forms show 丁 with 止 (zhǐ). Some late Western Zhou and early Spring and Autumn bronze forms reduce 丁 to a horizontal stroke joined to 止 (zhǐ). Later bronze and Chu bamboo forms often show 上 over 止 (zhǐ); one-stroke forms also occur in Chu bamboo slips.

In oracle bone script, the graph is used for the word later written 征 (OC *teŋ).

Sino-Tibetan or area word: “centre; target; first (month); straight; correct”.

Compare Mizo dîng (“to go straight or direct (as person, arrow etc.); to go straight through without breaking the journey; straight; direct”). Matisoff sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-tjak/ŋ ~ tik/ŋ (“good; very; real; straight”) for this, which includes 正, 直 (OC *dɯɡ, “straight; right”) and 實 (OC *ɦliɡ, “solid; true”).

Additionally, Matisoff has Proto-Sino-Tibetan *t(r)waŋ (“straight; straighten”), whence Chepang धेङ्सा (dʰeŋ-, “straight”), Jingpho ding (“straight”), Tibetan དྲང་པོ (drang po, “straight; correct; upright; just; fair”), Burmese တန်း (tan:, “straight; to head straight for”). Also compare Khmer ទៀង (tiĕng, “accurate; correct; exact; precise; honest”) and Thai ดิ่ง (dìng, “vertically; straight; to plummet”).

Derivatives:

* 征 (OC *tjeŋ, “to go straight > to go on a journey”)

* 政 (OC *tjeŋs, “correct; to govern; government; to determine”)

* 整 (OC *tjeŋʔ, “orderly; to arrange; to dispose”)

For etymology of pronunciation 正 (zhēng) in the month 正月 (zhēngyuè)'s name, see there.