Learn one Chinese Character a day - 判

Yes, the character is 判. Note the knife (刂) is added to 半. The original representation of 判 is then clear now: using knife to divide the Buffalo into two parts.

Let us check if there is any surprises from its ancient scripts: (image taken from http://vividict.com)

Evolution history of 判

So there is no surprise. There was neither Oracle Script nor Bronze Script for 判. Most likely Chinese ancestors used 半 during that period. Starting from Seal Script, knife () was added to form , which is pretty much the same as our modern form 判.

判 has the meaning of break down, separate or distinguish. for example: 判别.

In ancient China, it is always a very important and crucial matter to divide the Buffalo fairly to all members of a tribe, normally by tribe leader. 判 thus was born to contain the meaning of judgement and making decisions with authority, besides its original meaning. So 判 also has the meaning of judge, identify or determine. for example: 裁判

The 审判 from King Solomon

That is all for 判, it is now a time for us to enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 判 inside:

。。。 朝议郎，判尚书，武部员外郎，琅琊颜真（卿书）。。。

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 半

our character today - 半 is also related to 牛, though it is not that obvious. We can see their relationship clearly in its ancient scripts below: (image taken from:)

evolution history of 半

from its Bronze script , it is composed of (八) and (牛). Recall that 八 has the original meaning of "divide". so  has the original meaning of divide the buffalo into half.

Its Clerical Script  transformed a lot and was eventually evolved to its current form: 半.

Eventually 半 is borrowed to present the meaning of half, or part of  something, or not whole of.

As usual, Chinese ancestors then created a new character to represent the meaning of divide buffalo into half. Before revealing which Chinese character it is, what would you add to 半 for creating the new character?

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

半亩方塘一鉴开，天光云影共徘徊；
问渠哪得清如许，为有源头活水来。

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 牧

After learning both important and common livestock 牛 and 羊, we now start to examine a few Chinese characters created with them.

Our character today is one of that - 牧. What does it mean? It is composed of two parts : 牛 and 攵, of which we know that 牛 means Buffalo, while what does it mean by 攵?

As usual, we can get the help from  its ancient scripts shown below: (image taken from: http://vividict.com)

Evolution history of 牧

It Oracle Script  is a drawing of a hand  holding some stick or whip  to (control) the buffalo , like below paint:

牧牛图

So 攵 actually represents "a hand holding a stick or whip". Sound familiar? recall what we learnt on http://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2016/11/learn-one-chinese-character-day_28.html regarding 殳.

Its Bronze Script followed the Oracle version but swapped 牛 and 攵. The Seal Script  continued with Bronze Script.

So 牧 has the meaning of cowherd, and is eventually used to mean pasture or shepherd any herd, or even manage or govern people. In ancient China, some officer titles were named with 牧, like 徐州牧, which means this is an officer who governs the state called 徐州.

That is all for 牧, let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 牧 inside:

牧石人

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 羊

The modern Chinese character for sheep or goat is 羊. It does not look like a sheep / goat any longer. Its ancient scripts might help us to reason its meaning, which is shown below (image taken from http://vividict.com/):

Evolution history of 羊

Looking at its Oracle script  and , or its Bronze script  , we can see 羊 is the drawing of a head of sheep or goat. It is because of the same reason that sheep or goat is also a mainly used sacrifice offered to gods.

Sacrifice offered with a head of a goat

We can also see that at certain age of Bronze script whole body of 羊 was drawn to represent sheep or goat, which was eventually abandoned.

So 羊 means sheep or goat. As Chinese character is a drawing, it can be used to represent any animals looks like a sheep or goat. With this understanding, we will no longer be surprised to see Chinese can use either sheep or goat for their year of Chinese zodiac 羊.

As 羊 is always considered as a quiet, gentle and peaceful species, especially it is always used as sacrifice to gods for blessing, 羊 itself has the meaning of peace, gentle, auspicious and being blessed, especially when 羊 was used as a component to create other Chinese characters.

山羊

Now it is time to enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 羊 inside:

三羊开泰

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 牛

Our character today is 牛, which is a pictograph character. Hard to guess what it is due to the transformation and simplification along the time. We will need the help from its ancient scripts.

Let us examine its revolution history as below: (image taken from http://vividict.com)

Evolution history of 牛

It is kind of clear that its Oracle script  or is the stick figure of the head of a buffalo, comparing to the picture of a Buffalo below:

牛

you might be wondering that how come we draw the whole body for 马, 龟, 鱼, 象 and other animals, but only head of a bull? the answer is that, same as other civilisations, 牛 is one of the major sacrifice Chinese offered while worshipping gods. Head of 牛 will be mainly used:

Head of a Boffalo

Yes, 牛 means bull, buffalo or cow, and any animal that looks similar to buffalo. for example: 野牛

Since 牛 has great strength and is the main labour force Chinese ancestor used for farming, 牛 is extended to mean very strong and powerful.

牛 sometimes can become very stubborn and not willing to listen to the commands of a farmer, thus 牛 also has the meaning of stubborn.

Stubborn Buffalo

that is all for 牛, let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 牛 inside:

对牛弹琴

our next character will be for sheep or goat, if it were you who was creating it, how would you do?

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 像

We have just learnt 象. Today we move on to one Chinese character which is composed of 象 and 人: 像. Based on our understanding of 象, the possible combination is as below:

a. a person (人) with an elephant (象) (doing something?);
b. the (abstract) things or characteristics (象) of a human being (人);

Chinese ancestors does no special activities with 象 in ancient China as Chinese did not know how to train elephant to work together.

Option b is a more reasonable combination: what human being looks like!

So 像 means appearance of a person. for example: 人像.

Similar but different from 象, 像 is used to represent the appearance of someone or something by the action or art of imitating, including the way of reflection or refraction of lights on mirrors and etc. For example 录像机, and 图像.

Below is the evolution history of 像: (image taken from http://www.vividict.com)

evolution history of 像

We can see that Seal Script  is composed of exactly the same components as what we write today:  （a person）and  (elephant).

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

古圣贤像传略

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 象

today we move to a new pictograph character 象. it is also an animal. Could you guess which species it is?

Modern form 象 has been transformed a lot from its ancient scripts along the long history. If we look at its Oracle script and Bronze script , we will immediately know what it is: elephant, as shown below:

elephant

 As usual, below is its evolution history: (image taken from: http://vividict.com)

evolution history of 象

When it came to Seal script , it started to lose its photographic presentation, and became more abstract.

象 is a huge creature that impressed Chinese ancestors so much that they believed 象 could contains everything inside. thus 象 is extended to mean anything or everything. Since elephant does not really be able to put everything physical into its stomach, 象 usually refers to abstract things, like the form or looks of nature, human and physical materials,  for example 包罗万象 or 意象.

We have done our study today, let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 象 inside:

大象无形

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 莽

today we examine another character created with 犬 - 莽. Recall what we have learnt before: 莫 and 暮, we will see that 莫 and 莽 was created in the same way: the only difference is the middle part - 日 VS 犬.

Following the same reasoning we given to 莫 / 暮, 莽 represents: a (hunting) dog disappeared into high grasses, as shown below:

before continuing to examine its extended meanings, let us check the evolution history of 莽: (image taken from http://vividict.com/)

Evolution history of 莽

we can see that in Oracle script (, ) era, 莽 is created with "hunting dog inside woods". 

When it came to Bronze script () and Seal script () era, Chinese ancestors obviously thought that drawing of hunting dog inside grasses can present the idea of 莽 better.

bearing in mind of the evolution from Oracle script, to Bronze script and then to Seal script, based on the scene described, Chinese ancestors used 莽 to mean lush woods full of high grasses. for example 草莽.

Woods with high grasses is usually the place with few human activities, 莽 is thus used to mean desolated or uninhabited. for example 莽莽苍苍.

Normally only agitated and careless hunters would took their dogs to hunt preys inside lush woods with high grasses, this is why 莽 is also used to mean agitated and careless. for example 莽汉.

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

河西忆昔少年游,莽莽平沙石窟留。
我信春风能化雨,三危叠翠映高楼。