61010
The Etymological Dictionary of Han Chinese Characters (which is the pdf/book
format of the database for an old website called "Kanji Networks") states:

> 風 (9) フウ;フ;かざ;かぜ  
>  A variant form of 鳳 (large bird flapping its wings), later conceived of as
> the source of _wind_ causing various life forms and other objects to flutter
> → _trend_ ; _atmosphere_ ; _taste_ ; _custom_ (← things brought in then
> carried off by the wind).

Wiktionary states:

> Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *plum, *plums): phonetic 凡 (OC *bom) +
> semantic 虫 (“insects”). Ancient Chinese thought insects appear with wind.
> (Insects refer to any kind of animal, such as tigers (大蟲)).

Most other dictionaries I've searched online seem to agree with the latter (at
least somewhat), but which is correct? I find it harder to believe that
something so common as the wind would be a derived from a mythological bird,
although its a much cooler explanation than the wind causing animals to
appear.

Has anyone ever seen the former etymology before? Does this mean Kanji
Networks and their dictionary is not to be trusted at all? I'm a relatively
new learner of Japanese and so I'm not sure if its a known discredited source.
Or am I missing something here? Any help appreciated. Apologies if this isn't
the right place for this question, please move it somewhere its more likely to
be answered if so. Thanks!
CC BY-SA 4.0
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2018-09-22T05:59:33.447
2018-08-21T13:14:16.413
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question
kanji etymology
What is the character etymology of 風?
「風」( _wind_ ) and「鳳」([ _Chinese male mythical
bird_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenghuang)) share the same origins. The
origin of「風」is nothing more than a differentiation from「鳳」; previously,
since「風」did not have its own character, it just used「鳳」as a phonetic loan
(note that they both have the two _On'yomi_ **ふう** and **ほう** ).

* * *

「鳳」was originally a picture of an elaborately adorned mythical bird with a
large crown and long tail feathers.

# `A  
[商](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty)  
[甲](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7B05p.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7B05p.png)  
[後](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)2.39.10  
[合集13339](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=13339&jgwfl=)`

Later on, a sound hint「凡」was added, and the bird tails became even more
elaborately adorned.

# `B  
商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Bf5y.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Bf5y.png)  
[後](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)2.30.6  
[合集38186](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=38186&jgwfl=)``  
商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DMhhg.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DMhhg.png)  
[燕](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)147「凡」  
[合集18875](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=18875&jgwfl=)`

The adornments on the bird tails eventually separated from the bird itself.

# `C  
[西周](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou)  
[金](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MQrxT.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MQrxT.png)  
中方鼎  
[集成2752](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2752&jgwfl=)`

During this period of change, some inscriptions may have used a simpler, less
elaborate bird shape that eventually evolved to「隹/鳥」(these two are
variants).「凡」also grew to cover the entire bird. These changes lead on to the
modern「鳳」.

# `B  
商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Bf5y.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Bf5y.png)  
後2.30.6  
合集38186``D  
商ㆍ[殷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinxu)  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jOCyJ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jOCyJ.png)  
[拾](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)7.9  
[合集30234](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=30234&jgwfl=)``E  
  
[篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zEuvZ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zEuvZ.png)  
[說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)  
``F  
現代  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fm0jg.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fm0jg.png)  
  
`

Another variant saw most of the structure of the bird being omitted. Take one
of the separated tail adornments from form **C** , and remove the top circle-
dot shape「⊙」. We're left with「凡」and a very simple remnant of the adornment,
leading on to the modern「風」.

# `C  
西周  
金  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MQrxT.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MQrxT.png)  
中方鼎  
集成2752``G  
[楚](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_\(state\))  
[帛](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_Silk_Manuscript)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Kfpcd.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Kfpcd.png)  
[帛甲](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/ChuwenziReference)1.31  
``H  
[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty)  
[簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips)  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JTFZa.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JTFZa.png)  
[睡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts)ㆍ[秦2](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/QinwenziReference)  
``I  
現代  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XZ4Ob.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XZ4Ob.png)  
  
`

> There is no particular reason to remove「⊙」, which is why we have variants
> which kept「⊙」and removed the other part.「風」became the more popular variant
> due to an accident in history.
>
> # `J  
>  
> 篆  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mrgrY.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mrgrY.png)  
> 說文古文  
>  ``K  
> 現代  
> 楷  
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/prtWY.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/prtWY.png)  
> 「凬」  
>  `

「虫」has nothing to do with「風」!「虫」originally depicted a poisonous snake (now
written「虺」; the meaning _insects_ was strictly written as「蟲」in
[Kyūjitai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%ABjitai) before becoming
simplified to「虫」).「風」and「虫」converged in shape because the reduced adornment
looked very graphically similar to the snake since very early on.

# `  
商  
甲  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bK0ah.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bK0ah.png)  
[乙](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)8718  
[合集22296](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=22296&jgwfl=)``  
西周  
金  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qrV1Z.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qrV1Z.png)  
虫⿱爫日作旅鼎  
[集成2175](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2175&jgwfl=)``  
秦  
簡  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kYDOH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kYDOH.png)  
睡ㆍ[日甲](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/QinwenziReference)62背  
``  
現代  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/f9MAE.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/f9MAE.png)  
  
`

* * *

**References:**

  * 李學勤《字源》
  * 季旭昇《說文新證》
  * 裘錫圭《文字學概要》
  * [小學堂](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
  * [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
CC BY-SA 4.0
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2018-09-22T05:59:33.447
2018-09-22T05:59:33.447
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answer