TSUMUGU · A2 (est.) · 字
似
似 ＝ 亻 ＋ 㠯
ㄙˋ · sì/shì
verb — to resemble, to seem (sì) — particle — like, as if (shì, in 似的)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
亻義a person
㠯聲gives the soundyǐ — the old form of 以; drifted to sì
IFTyǐ → sì — initial, final and tone all moved off the donor
A person (亻) beside 㠯, the old form of 以, which carries the sound yǐ — worn far to sì. The sense settles on one person looking like another: to resemble, to seem. As shì it softens to a particle in 似的, the look of something. The standard old graph wrote 佀; the modern glyph swaps the right side to 㠯/以.
意 · Meanings
sì
(本義)相似、好像— to resemble, to seem常用
→似乎— it seems, apparently常用
shì
(本義)似的— like, as if — the look of常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
以yǐthe sound it carries — 以/ alone is by means of; 似 adds for resembling佀sìthe older standard form — same word, right side written ; modern print settled on 似