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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

第

dì
sequence; number
  • Phono-semantic compound 形聲
  • HSK 1
  • TOCFL 1
  • radical 竹
  • 11 strokes

Etymology graph

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  • derived
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Origin

The character 第 is a phono-semantic compound. It consists of the semantic component 竹 (bamboo), referring to the bamboo strips used for writing, such as for accounting or classification, and the phonetic component 弟 (younger brother). It is possible that the character was originally written as 弟. Karlgren connects the word with 梯 (ladder).

In its various meanings, the character refers to sequence, grade, degree, or rank in imperial examinations. It also denotes a mansion or the residence of a high official. When used before integer numerals, it expresses the order or grade of things. The character's earliest attested forms appear in oracle, bronze, chu, qin, seal, and regular scripts.

Confidence: high · written by gemma4:26b, checked statement-by-statement against the sources below.

「第」字在構造上屬於形聲字，由「𥫗」（竹）作為意義部分，以及「弟」作為聲音部分。這裡的「竹」指的是古代用來書寫、記帳或進行分類的竹簡。另一種可能的說法是，這個字最初可能直接寫作「弟」。

在意義方面，「第」表示次序、等級，或用於整數數詞之前，用以表示事物的順序或等級。它也可以指科舉榜上的次第（科第），或者指古代王公大臣與富貴人家的住宅。在語言使用上，它可能是「第一」或「第二」的縮寫，也有可能源自於「是」或「然」。

Confidence: high · written by gemma4:26b, checked statement-by-statement against the sources below.

Lineage

  • meaningChinese竹 “bamboo (Classifier: 枝; 棵 m; 根 m; 轆／辘 c)”
  • soundChinese弟 “younger brother”
Wiktionary etymology text
Etymology 1

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *diːls): semantic 𥫗 (“bamboo”) + phonetic 弟 (OC *diːlʔ, *diːls). 竹 here refers to the bamboo strips used for writing (e.g. accounting, classification) in ancient times. See also 等.

Alternatively, may have originally been written 弟.

Karlgren (1956: 14) connects this word with → tī 梯 ‘ladder’.

Etymology 2

Contraction of 第二 (dai6 ji6, “second”).

Etymology 3

Contraction of 第一 (tē-it, “first”).

Etymology 4

From 是 or 然.

From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Meanings

character
  1. sequence; number
  2. grade; degree
  3. mansion; residence (of a high official)
  4. rank in imperial examinations
  5. only; just
  6. but; however

國語辭典 definitions

  1. 次序、等級。 例：次第、等第
  2. 用於整數數詞之前。表事物的順序或等級。 例：第一、第二
  3. 科第。科舉榜上的次第。 例：登第、落第、及第
  4. 古時指王公大臣或富貴人家的住宅。 例：府第、宅第

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

How 第 was written 字形演變

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

  • etymagent (local gemma4:26b) — Generated
  • 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
  • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Wiktionary: 第