鉴定
jiàn dìng · HSK 6
to identify
🔍 鉴 mirror-examine + 定 settle = inspect then lock in a verdict
鉴 was originally a bronze mirror used for careful scrutiny. Combined with 定 (to fix or determine), it means to examine something closely and then render a final judgment.
定 — roof 宀 + 正 (correct/upright, phonetic)
Originally written with 宀 (roof) over 正 (upright/correct), suggesting a household settled and orderly under its roof. Over time 正 simplified to 㐬-like form at the bottom, and the meaning shifted from 'settled home' to the broader senses of 'fix, stable, decide.'