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Etymology of 牀 vs 床?


Pegasus

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Hi everyone,

 

I'm really curious about 牀 vs 床. I'm told that 牀 is an alternative form of 床, but it is apparent to me that 床 is far more common. 

 

For example: 起床 qǐchuáng - to get up (out of bed) / wake up

Which groups of people would write 起牀 instead? 

 

Does 牀 come after 床 etymologically? Or, did 牀 precede 床? Is there a history or story behind 牀?

 

I have no idea where to find the answers to these questions. I'm hoping someone here might know. 

 

Cheers,

Pegasus

 

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2 hours ago, Pegasus said:

did 牀 precede 床?

Yes it did.

Here is the proof:

牀 was in the 2nd-century dictionary 說文解字 http://www.zdic.net/z/1e/sw/7240.htm

床 as an variant was first mentioned in the 11th-century rime book 廣韻 http://www.zdic.net/z/1e/kx/7240.htm

When it comes to etymologies of Chinese characters, 說文解字 and 康熙字典 are pretty much the ultimate source. And you can access both through www.zdic.net.

 

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