Originally a pictograph of a person with lines at the top and bottom, depicting the original meaning "extremity". Later the 口 (mouth) and 又 (hand) components were added to depict shouting in an urgent situation, such as being chased.

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Regular script

Modern

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