自

Our new Chinese character today is 自. Looking at this modern form, it is not possible to guess the meaning of 自. Let us go through its ancient scripts and probably we will get hints there:

evolution history of 自

Oracle script might still be too simple to guess. but its Bronze script shows very clearly what 自 represents:

 

自

Now if we look back at its Oracle script , it is clear that also vividly represents the drawing of nose, but without mustache, as well. 

If you know the Chinese character which means nose - 鼻, now you can immediately tell that 鼻 is composed of 自 and 畀. From the regular pattern of how Chinese characters were created, 自 should be related to nose.

From the evolution history of 自, laziness of human nature demonstrates its power again, 自 is simplified from complex to , and further simplified during Seal script era:  . is every close to what we are writing today: 自.

Yes, 自 originally means nose, which is eventually replaced by the new character 鼻, for 自 was eventually borrowed to represent different meanings.

During our daily conversation, we usually point to our noses to mean me or myself. And sometimes even point to other-body's nose to mean him. Chinese ancestors took this scenario to use 自, which is nose, to mean me or self. for example 自己.

自己

 

The same hidden meaning of nose should be presented in western culture as well. In the fable story of Pinocchio, whenever he lied, his nose would grow longer, which probably represents the result of growing ego of a person.

And nose is the vital organ for breathe and airflow starts from it. 自 thus also contains the meaning of from, start and since. for example 自从.

That is all for 自, time to enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 自 inside:

和气人长寿；心宽福自来。