phonosemantic

P3H4O1N1O1S1E1M3A1N1T1I1C3

adjective

Combining phonetic and semantic components, as with more than eighty percent of Chinese characters. (a way of creating Han characters by combining a component that indicates the meaning with a component that indicates the pronunciation)

Similar
determinative-phoneticpictophoneticsemasio-phonetic
OriginEnglish semantic ← French sémantique ← Ancient Greek σημαντικός (sēmantikós) →
Scrabble 22
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Meanings

adjectivephonosemantic (not comparable)

alternative phono-semantic

  1. not comparableCombining phonetic and semantic components, as with more than eighty percent of Chinese characters. (a way of creating Han characters by combining a component that indicates the meaning with a component that indicates the pronunciation)
  2. not comparablehuman sciencesOf or pertaining to phonosemantics

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
determinative-phoneticpictophoneticsemasio-phonetic
Also see
pictophoneticsound-symbolic

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*pʰōnā́
  3. Ancient Greekφωνή (phōnḗ)
  4. Englishphono-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeyh₂-?
  6. Proto-Indo-European*dʰyeh₂-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*dʰyéh₂mn̥
  8. Proto-Hellenic*tsā́mə?
  9. Ancient Greekσῆμᾰ (sêmă)
  10. Ancient Greekσημαίνω (sēmaínō)
  11. Ancient Greekσημαντικός (sēmantikós)
  12. Frenchsémantique
  13. Englishsemanticsbf.?
  14. Englishsemantic
  15. Englishphonosemantic

From phono- + semantic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 形聲 /形声
  • 形聲 /形声 (xíngshēng)CJKV characters with a semantic and a phonetic
Finnish fonosemanttinen
  • fonosemanttinenCJKV characters with a semantic and a phonetic
French phono-sémantique
  • phono-sémantiqueCJKV characters with a semantic and a phonetic
Japanese 形声
  • 形声 (keisei)CJKV characters with a semantic and a phonetic
Korean 형성
  • 형성 (hyeongseong)CJKV characters with a semantic and a phonetic
Polish fonosemantyczny
  • fonosemantycznyCJKV characters with a semantic and a phonetic
Vietnamese hình thanh
  • hình thanhCJKV characters with a semantic and a phonetic
Cite this entry
APA

phonosemantic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonosemantic

MLA

“phonosemantic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonosemantic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phonosemantic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonosemantic.

Source: phonosemantic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.