成 (Chéng)

surname Cheng; short name for Chengdu 成都[Cheng2 du1]

Etymology

Depicts defending city walls (丁) with an axe (戌). 丁 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "city", now written as 城. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Shuowen Jiezi

《說文》:“成,就也。从戊,丁聲。,古文成从午。”

Original meaning

city

Components