Zi:寧
寧(S宁) [nìng] prefer/rather, had better (寧願, 寧可) [níng] peaceful/tranquil (寧靜); (HDZ:) …
One monosyllabic entry in The ABC Cantonese-English Dictionary (namespace Jyut):
2 monosyllabic entries in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):
►³níng 寧/甯[宁] {E} b.f. peaceful; tranquil ►¹níngjìng 寧靜 ◆n. ①short for Ningxia ②another name for Nanjing
►¹nìng 寧[宁] {E} adv. ①rather; would rather ②〈environment:〉 wr. could there be ◆n. Surname
The full-form character 寧 (14 strokes) was formerly wr. 寍 (12 strokes); the bottom component 丂 (not 丁) was added to specify certain senses of the old form 寍, and later 寧 replaced 寍 in all senses.
The Shuōwén Seal form of 寧() nìng/níng ‘would rather; had better’ augments the old form 寍() nìng/níng ‘rather/peaceful’ (phonosemantic), with 丂() kǎo, as in 可() kě (as in 宁可 ‘would rather; had better’), in order to specify the sense ‘rather’ (rather than ‘peaceful’); formerly also wr. 寍, and 甯().
Note: The old bottom component of 寧() was not 丁() dīng, but 丂() kǎo (specifying 宁可 ‘had better’); later 丂 was reinterpreted as 丁 dīng (phonosemantic) (cf. 丁/定; 稳定, 肯定), and the augmented form 寧 replaced the old simpler form 寍; note the 4/2 tonal variation for this sense 寧() nìng/níng ‘would rather; had better’ (HDZ); today only the reading 宁 nìng ‘would rather; had better’ is standard for this sense, vs. 宁 níng ‘peaceful/tranquil’ (GFC).
The Shuōwén Seal form of 寍() níng ‘peaceful/tranquil’ combines 宀() mián ‘roof/dwelling/home’ (as in 安 ‘peaceful’), 心 xīn ‘heart/feeling’, and 皿() mǐn ‘dish’ (phonosemantic): a home with dishes full of food/drink satisfies/pacifies the hunger/hearts of the household.
“[寧] Peace, rest; tranquilize; (find peace in, like:) to prefer... a 宀 house, a 心 heart and 皿 a cup... the addition below is not 丁 in the seal but 丂 (kǎo) take breath, rest” —Karlgren(AD).
Compare: 安() ān ‘peaceful/stable’ (安宁, 安静, 宁静); 家() jiā ‘home/family’.
Compare: 孟() mèng ‘eldest son’, 盟(𥂗𥁰) méng ‘oath/pact/treaty’ (皿 is phonetic in these).
Compare: 宓() mì ‘peaceful/quiet/still’, later wr. 密().
Note: “[In 𬐘 of 寍/寧] It is Cabestan's heart in the dish.” —Ezra Pound (Canto IV)
HDZ: 寧 : níng : 安宁, 安定 (cf. 寍); 静 (宁静); 止息; 已嫁女子回娘家探望父母; 省亲; 归, 返回; 因凶丧告假; 必定; 却, 向后; (金代) (乐名); (地名); (姓) • nìng (又读 níng) : (代词) (何; 如此); (副词) (岂, 难道; 乃, 曾); (SW: 寧: 願詞; cf. SW: 甯: 所願) (连词) 选择 (宁愿, 宁可); (助词) (不宁唯是)
(Explanation from the entry for the simple form 宁:) The simple-form character 宁 nìng/níng ‘rather/peaceful’ (5 strokes) is an old form, re-used as an abbrev. of the full-form character 寧 (14 strokes), omitting the central full-form parts 𬐘 (9 strokes); cf. 寧.
Note: Formerly 宁/㝉() zhù ‘store up; concentrate; wait/hesitate’, later wr. 贮/貯(), 伫/佇; cf. 㝉.
HDZ: 宁 : zhù : 贮/貯: 积聚 (cf. 㝉); 伫/佇: 久立; (古) 宫殿的门和屏之间 (cf. 箸, 位著/箸/㝉); (古) 正门内侧屋之间 • níng : (简体) 寧 • nìng : (简体) 寧
►references: Karlgren:GSR837a; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:2.949.5; Mathews:4725; Guǎngyùn:197.03; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:291.08; EDOC:1
►components: 寍丁宀𬐘心皿丂
►Cantonese: nihng\
Shuōwén: (寧) (寍) (甯)
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<comp char='宀' uni='5B80' points='0,0 128,26' />
<comp char='' uni='E80E' points='0,26 128,128' />
</cdl>
<cdl char='宀' uni='5B80' points='0,16 128,64'>
<stroke type='d' points='56,0 68,54' />
<comp char='冖' uni='5196' points='0,54 128,128' />
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<cdl char='' uni='E80E' points='0,0 128,124' radical='K0'>
<comp char='心' uni='5FC3' points='8,0 120,30' />
<comp char='皿' uni='76BF' points='4,48 124,78' />
<comp char='丁' uni='4E01' points='0,96 128,128' />
</cdl>
<cdl char='心' uni='5FC3' points='0,12 128,114'>
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<stroke type='d' points='40,0 59,63' />
<stroke type='d' points='108,20 128,86' />
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<cdl char='皿' uni='76BF' points='0,24 128,104'>
<comp char='冂' uni='5182' variant='7' points='22,0 104,128' />
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<stroke type='h' points='0,128 128,128' />
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<cdl char='冂' uni='5182' variant='7' points='4,4 124,128' radical='K0'>
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<stroke type='hz' points='0,0 128,0 128,128' head='cut' tail='cut' />
<!-- variant based on [U+EF86](V=0) -->
</cdl>
<cdl char='' uni='EF7A' points='8,8 120,120' radical='K0'>
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</cdl>
<cdl char='丁' uni='4E01' points='0,8 128,128' radical='D1'>
<stroke type='h' points='0,0 128,0' />
<stroke type='sg' points='68,0 68,128 24,109' head='cut' />
</cdl>
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Unicode: U+5BE7
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