【析形】形声字。古文字形从金,戋(qiān)声。 【释义】《说文》:“铫也。古田器。《诗》曰:庤乃钱镈。”本义是一种铁铲状的农具,读jiǎn。先秦货币中有铲形币,流行于三晋和燕国,故后来货币也用钱来表示,读qián。 【shape analysis】It is the pictophonetic character.In ancienr character the meaningful part is金(jīn,gold).The phonetic component is戋(jiān). 【original meaning】A farming implement like a shovel.Its pronunciation is jiǎn.There are coins like a shovel in the pre—Qin.Therefore the currency also meant money and pronounced qián.