Character: 左
Modern (Beijing) reading: zuǒ
Preclassic Old Chinese: cājʔ
Classic Old Chinese: cā́j
Western Han Chinese: cā́j
Eastern Han Chinese: cǟ́
Early Postclassic Chinese: cā́
Middle Postclassic Chinese: cā́
Late Postclassic Chinese: cā́
Middle Chinese: cấ
English meaning : be left (side), be to the left
Russian meaning[s]: 1) левый; влево, налево; 2) плохой; неправильный; ошибочный; 3) отклоняться; расходиться (напр. во мнениях); 4) помогать; помощник; вспомогательный, побочный; 5) привести доказательство, подкрепить аргументом; 6) восточная сторона; 7) нижеследующий; ниже (по должности); 8) Цзо (фамилия)
Shuowen gloss: �手相左也.從�工.凡左之屬皆從左.
Comments: In some inscriptions glossed also as 'to oppose' which is rather dubious. Etymologically connected is 佐 OC *cājʔ-s, MC cầ, Mand. zuǒ (phonetically under the influence of 左) 'to help, assist' q.v.
Radical: 48
Four-angle index: 104
Karlgren code: 0005 a-d
Vietnamese reading: ta`
Shijing occurrences: 1.2, 38.3
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