Sunday 28 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 株

As what we mentioned in our last lesson, 朱 was borrowed to mean red colour. Thus Chinese ancestors then added 木 to 朱 to create 株 to represent the original meaning of 朱.

Let us check its evolution history (image get from http://www.vividict.com/)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 株 
We can see clearly that Bronze Script was exactly created by adding   to .

株 means trunk of a tree
and it was later used as Chinese Classifier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_classifier) for objects like tree. One usage literally is: one 株 tree.

Now let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 株 inside:
种松千株听天籁 艺兰百畦得奇香

Friday 26 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 朱

From the meaning of 朱 and its shape, we might not realise that 朱 was created from 木 as well.

As we have learnt 本 and 末, we have these two Chinese characters created with indicators drawn upon root or treetop of a tree. 朱 is created with an indicator drawn upon the trunk of a tree.

Let us examine its evolution history to confirm: (image get from http://www.vividict.com)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 朱
It is very obvious that Oracle Script of 朱 - is to draw a upon the trunk of a tree . So original meaning of 朱 is trunk of a tree.

Wood were used as the majority construction material for all Chinese buildings, furniture. And wood with natural red colour is the favourite one. Below is the image of such kind of wood. For more information on Chinese Red Wood furniture can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_furniture

Red Wood
And a typical red wood furniture as shown below:
Typical Chinese Red Wood Furniture
朱 is thus eventually used to referring to the red color represented by the red wood. Chinese ancestors then created a new character 株 to mean trunk of a tree.

朱 is now also a family name. Maybe ancestors of 朱 family lived nearby a forest of red wood.

Let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 朱 inside to end our lesson today:
朱门酒肉臭 路有冻死骨


Wednesday 24 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 未

Today's new character looks very similar with what we just learnt 末. Both have an indicator at treetop. with 末 a longer dash, 未 a shorter dash.

It is believed that 未 used to contain the same meaning as 末. When time passed, 未 was then used to mean something else.

To know its meaning better, let us examine its evolution history first: (image get from http://www.vividict.com)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 未
Oracle Script of 未 - is to add extra branches to a tree . It is to mean leafy. But comparing with trees with plenty of fruit - , the difference is that has not bear any fruit yet.

So or its modern writing 未 has the meaning of not yet or in the future.
And of course, 未 contains its original meaning for the season that trees are leafy but not fruitful yet. This original meaning is not frequently used any longer.

As usual, let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 未 inside:
子建相逢恐未真,人言个是洛川神

Monday 22 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 果

Today we continued our learning to 果. Looking at 果, it is composed of 田 and 木, both of which have been taught. Can you guess its meaning of 果?

Before revealing the answer, let us examine its evolution history to gain more ideas: (image get from http://www.vividict.com)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 果
From Oracle Script of 果 - , I assume you should already have a clear idea what it is now. It is the drawing of a tree produces fruitfully果 is then to mean fruit of a tree. fruit of vines in Chinese is referred by another character 瓜, we can get back to it later.

And from 田 and 木,  can also be explained that fruit is produced from the field of trees. Maybe this is the inner logic for the transformation to 果 from .

Now let us enjoy a Chinese painting with 果 inside:


硕果累累报丰收

Saturday 20 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 末

Today we continue with another Chinese character 末, which is created with 木 as well, with an indicator  drawn upon the treetop. What is its meaning here? treetops exactly. 末 was then extended to mean end of something or sometime.

Let us confirm our observation from its evolution history: (image get from http://www.vividict.com)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 末
From evolution history of 末, it is very obvious that 末 followed exactly the same logic till now.

This is a quick lesson, let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 末 inside:

幕末

Thursday 18 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 本

Today we started with a new series related to 木. Looking at 本, the new character we will learn today, it is composed with 木 and an indicator . We know 木 originally means tree. with the indicator  drawn upon the root part of the tree, is to denote the meaning of root of a tree. and 本 is eventually extended naturally to mean root or base or origin or source as well.

Let us confirm our observation with its evolution history: (image get from http://www.vividict.com)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 本
From its Bronze Script , it is quite obvious that Chinese ancestors added 3 indicators to root parts of the , During Seal Script (籀文https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shizhoupian) period, was to add extra drawings of roots under to emphasize the meaning of root of a tree. Starting from Clerical Script,  本 is pretty much finalized with the same writing for the following two thousand years.

Now let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 本 inside:


而待也。臣本布衣,躬耕南阳

Tuesday 16 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 焱

焱 is obviously composed of three 火, Chinese linguists believe that 焱 used to mean the same as 炎. However it was redundant to have two Chinese characters to mean the same thing. As 焱 originally meant big fire, it was then used to refer to the flames of a big fire. 

Let us check its Oracle Script and Seal Script.
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 焱
It is quite clear that structure of 焱 has been kept from Oracle Script till now.

焱 is to mean flames of fire.
And actually 焱 is now almost no longer in use. Its meaning of flame is now represented by another Chinese character 焰. We can get to 焰 when time is right.

Now let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 焱 inside:


神焱

Sunday 14 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 炎

Look at the character 炎 which we will learn today, it is obviously composed of two 火. What is its meaning? With one 火, it is warm and good to cook food. While there is two 火, it is to mean a grand fire, and is then extended to mean very hot, eventually Chinese ancestors used 炎 to describe the sicknesses which would cause high fever as well.

Bronze Script of 炎 -  was created originally with the same idea by drawing two (Bronze Script of 火).  Its evolution history is shown below: (image get from http://www.vividict.com)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 炎

Now let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 炎 inside:
炎黄英雄气,华夏民族魂。







Friday 12 February 2016

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 炙

Today we will get to learn a new Logical aggregates character 炙. It is composed of two parts - upperand bottom 火. I guess you should have a rough idea about the meaning of 炙 already as we should know that clearly refers to meat. Let us check its evolution history to confirm our guess. (image get from http://www.vividict.com)
Learn one Chinese Character a day - 炙
Looking at its Bronze Script , it did denote the same idea as what we are writing now. denotes skewered meat while is the drawing of fire in Bronze Script period.

It is very obvious that 炙 is to mean barbecue. And it is then extended to mean very hot (at the temperature at which meat is barbecued) as well.

Now let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 炙 inside:
闲过信陵饮,脱剑膝前横。
将炙啖朱亥,持觞劝侯嬴。