皼 (gǔ) - An ancient variant of 鼓 (gǔ), meaning drum & to beat a drum

皼Tone 3

gǔ ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

皼 · gǔ

An ancient variant of 鼓 (gǔ), meaning drum;

to beat a drum;

to rouse;

to excite.

An ancient variant of 鼓 (gǔ), meaning drumto beat a drumto rouse

Usage highlights

ancient variant charactercharacter evolutionbronze inscriptiondrum instrumentbeat the drumrouse spirits

Synonyms

  • 鼓— drum; to beat a drum; the standard modern form

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The character 皼 is an ancient variant form of 鼓 (鼓).
  • Archaeologists found an inscription with 皼 on a bronze vessel (青铜器).
  • In some classical texts, 皼 appears where modern editions use 鼓.
  • The form 皼 demonstrates character evolution in Chinese writing (汉字演变).

Collocations

  • ancient variant character(古异体字)
  • character evolution(汉字演变)
  • bronze inscription(金文)
  • drum instrument(鼓乐器)
  • beat the drum(击鼓)
  • rouse spirits(鼓舞士气)

Idioms

  • Beat the drum and advance(击鼓前进)
  • Drum up courage(鼓起勇气)
  • The drumming urges the troops forward(鼓行而前)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 皼 appears primarily in ancient bronze inscriptions and early manuscripts as a variant of 鼓.
  • The character demonstrates the process of character standardization that occurred over Chinese history.
  • As a drum character, it connects to important cultural functions of drums in ceremonies, warfare, and music.

FAQ