Zi:習

習(S​习) [xí] ​練習 practice; ​學習 study; 習​慣 habit

One monosyllabic entry in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):

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(Explanation from the entry for the simple form ​习:) The simple-form character ​习 xí ‘study/practice’ (3 strokes) is an abbrev. of the full-form character 習 (11 strokes), reducing the full-form character to its first 3 strokes (left half of ​羽), and omitting the rest (8 strokes; the right half of ​羽, and all of ​白).
    The Shuōwén Seal form of 習(​􀦓) xí ‘learning to fly’ combines ​羽(​􀦕​𦏲) yǔ ‘feathers/wings/flight’, and the old form ​白(​􀦂​𪞶​􀥿​𦣹​自) zì ‘oneself/itself’ (phonosemantic): the fledgling bird teaches itself (learns, gains the wisdom) to fly, in repeated attempts/failures (falling out of the nest); practice builds good habits (makes perfect), on the path to flight/wisdom.
    Compare: ​𥱵(​􀠰​􀠯​篲​􀠮​彗) suì/huì ‘broom; comet’; ​慧(​􁲢) huì ‘clever/wise’; ​智(​􀦇​𥏼​􀦈​𥏾) zhì ‘wisdom’ (​智​慧=​慧​智: ​聪​慧​机​智).
    Note: In the old form of ​彗(​􀠮), ​𥱵(​􀠰​􀠯​篲) suì/huì ← MC /ziueis/, the component is 習(​􀦓) xí (phonetic) ← MC /ziep/; cf. ​自(​􀥿​𦣹) zì ← MC /dzieis/ (SBGY).
    Compare: ​皆(​􀦃) jiē/xié ‘all/harmony’ ← MC /kei/, in which the old lower component is also ​白(​􀦂​𪞶​􀥿​𦣹​自) zì ‘nose/self’.
    Note: In the modern simple form ​习, the upper full-form component ​羽 (two wings) is abbrev. to ​习 (one wing), and the lower component (​白/​自 zì ‘self’, not ​白 bái ‘white’) is omitted entirely.
    “[習] Young birds learning to fly; to practise; be familiar with; custom — the seal has ​自 below: use ones ​自 own ​羽 wings” —Karlgren(AD).
    “[​自] Starting point, the origin, beginning, evolution; the nose being, according to the Chinese embryology, the starting point of the bodily evolution” —Wieger.
    “The ​自 (contracted) first attempts to ​羽 fly, made by a young bird; ​从​羽, ​从​自, ​会​意。By extension, to repeat the same act, to practice” —Wieger.
    Older graphs associated with 習 seem to have a shape like ​口 or ​日 below, perhaps signifying the bird nest/egg (HDZ).
    Compare: ​西(​􂂜​㢴​𧟢) xī ‘west’, said to depict a bird sitting on its nest; ​曾(​􀋱), ​橧/​增 zēng ‘twig nest’.
    Compare: ​昔(​􁉒​㫺) xī ‘dried meat; old’, ​昔 cuò ‘coarse/crude; mistake’ (​錯).
    Compare: ​皆(​􀦃) jiē/xié ‘all/harmony’, in which also ​白(​􀦂​𪞶) zì ‘nose/self’.
   
►references: Karlgren:GSR690a; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:5.3345.1; Mathews:2499; Guǎngyùn:531.26; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:956.23; EDOC:1
►components: ​羽​习​白​
►Cantonese: jaahp-
►stroke 習 (... strokes)   
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Unicode: U+7FD2
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