Zi:本

本 [běn] root (​树本); origin/originally (本​来); basis/basic (​基本); volume/book/edition (​书本, ​课本); ​资本 capital; ​成本 net cost; ​日本 Japan; (HDZ:) … [bēn] 本​奏=​奔​走

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

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The character 本 běn ‘root’ marks ​木 mù ‘tree’ with ​一 a line below indicating the roots; older forms of 本 have different interpretations.
    The Shuōwén Seal form of 本 běn ‘root’ is said to combine ​木 mù ‘tree’ with an old form of ​下(​丅) xià ‘down/bottom’ below; formerly wr. ​楍(​㮺​𡴩​𣖎​𡴡), with ​品 pǐn (phonosemantic) representing the roots as many mouths (drinking up moisture from the ground).
    Compare: ​临/​臨 lín ‘observe (things, looking down) from above; stoop/condescend’ (䷒), in which ​品 pǐn (phonosemantic).
    Note: The analysis here parallels that of ​末 mò ‘branch tip’, in which the top is ​上(​丄) ‘up’, emending the received Seal forms based on Táng evidence (DYC); cf. ​氒, ​鬲, ​雨, ​甲, ​𢫶.
    Compare: ​末 mò ‘branch tips’; ​朱 zhū ‘pith’; ​未 wèi ‘multiple branches’.
    Note: (​诗) (​文​王) ​文​王​孫​子、本​支​百​世 “To the descendants of king Wen, In the direct line and the collateral branches for a hundred generations.” (Legge)
    Compare: ​奔(​𢍃) bēn ‘run’; ​夲 tāo ‘advance quickly’; ​𠂔(​𠥽​𪩲) zǐ; ​(​𣎵) bèi/pō; ​朩(​𣎳) pìn.
    HDZ: 本 : běn : ​草​木​的​根; ​草​木​的​茎、​干; (​古) ​有​血​缘​关​系​的​嫡​系​子​孙 (本​支); ​事​物​的​基​础​或​主​体; (​古) ​农​业​生​产; ​人​或​动​物​的​器​官​的​根​基​部​位; ​某​些​杆​状​或​狭​长​物​体​的​跟​端​或​粗​的​一​段; ​手​把​处; ​事​物​的​起​始、​根​源 (​根本, ​忘本); ​原​来​的, ​固​有​的 (本​质, 本​性, 本​能); ​自​己​或​自​己​方​面​的 (本​身, 本​国, 本​乡); ​现​今​的 (本​年, 本​月); ​依​据, ​按​照; ​究, ​察​究; ​掌​握, ​主​持; 本​钱, ​母​金 (​一本​万​利); ​版本 (​刻本, ​抄本, ​古本, ​善本); (​封​建) ​臣​下​奏​事​的​文​书; ​书​册 (​书本, ​画本, ​笔​记本); (​副​词) 本​来, ​原​来; (​量​词) (​株, ​棵, ​丛, ​撮); (​姓) • bēn : 本/​奔: 本​奏=​奔​走
►references: Guǎngyùn:282.21; Wieger:1g; Henshall:70; Karlgren:AD707,GSR440a; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:2.1151.1; Lindqvist:237; Mathews:5025; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:509.07; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:013.0.04; Wáng(1993):39; EDOC:1
►components: ​木​一​​丅
►Cantonese: bun/
►stroke 本 (... strokes)   
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Unicode: U+672C
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