來

Derived characters

 * 倈 唻 婡 崍 徠 𢜞 𢯦 淶 猍 䧒 棶 琜 睞 𮋳 䂾 䅘 䋱 𦩑 𧍍 䚞 誺 𤳆 𨂐 錸 㯤 𦠘 𣛤 騋 𩳳 鯠 𪘨 逨 勑 郲 猌 𢆠 䚅 𤳇 顂 鶆 𠌊 麥 賚 萊 箂 庲 㾢 憗 瀒 斄 𤀛 𪰪

Descendants

 * 来

Glyph origin
of wheat – original character of or. The line in the middle represents the ear, the two lines pointing upwards represent leaves, and the lines pointing downwards represent the stem and roots. An additional horizontal line was often added at the top end of the character, possibly used to emphasize the ear of the wheat. Compare.

This character has been borrowed for “to come” since the oracle bone script. During the and s, additional semantic components, such as  or, were added to differentiate the original sense from the borrowed sense. However, these additions were not inherited in later scripts.

Some consider the derivative from the addition of  to be the original form for the meaning “to come”. If so, their meanings have interchanged due to frequent use of 來 for “to come”.

 connects “wheat” and “to come” from a mythological standpoint: 天所來也 (“it comes from the heavens”). This may be supported by archaeological evidence, which suggests that wheat is not native to China, but originated in the Fertile Crescent.

來 and 麥 have both been reconstructed to begin with *mr- in Old Chinese. The former retains the liquid as, while the latter retains the nasal.

Etymology 1
From (STEDT). Cognate with, , 🇨🇬. Also cognate with according to.

Definitions

 * 1) to come; to arrive
 * 2) * John 1.6
 * 3) to happen; to occur
 * 4) to do
 * 5) since
 * 6) next; coming; future
 * 7)  about; approximately; around
 * 8)  currently
 * 9)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1) to do
 * 2) since
 * 3) next; coming; future
 * 4)  about; approximately; around
 * 5)  currently
 * 6)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)  currently
 * 2)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)  currently
 * 2)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)  currently
 * 2)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)  currently
 * 2)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)  currently
 * 2)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)  currently
 * 2)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)  currently
 * 2)   the Middle Chinese initial of
 * 1)   the Middle Chinese initial of

Etymology 2
Cognate to or same word as.

Definitions

 * 1)  wheat

Verb

 * 1) to come, approach
 * 2) to go
 * 3)  to gradually begin to [verb]
 * 1) to go
 * 2)  to gradually begin to [verb]
 * 1)  to gradually begin to [verb]

Etymology 2
Eastern 🇨🇬 form of the of verb  above.