则 - Dong Chinese dictionary

zé

rule

Original meaning:

law

Simplified form of 則. Depicts carving inscriptions on bronzeware (鼎) with a knife (刂). Based on the original meaning "law". In ancient China, some legal writings were inscribed on bronzeware.

Components

鼎 Iconic Remnant component

dǐng

cooking pot

Modern form looks like unrelated 贝.

刂 Iconic component

dāo

knife

刂 is a component form of 刀.

Evolution

Bronze script

Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional script

Modern

Simplified script

Modern

Definitions

则 (則)

zé

rule, law, regulation; grades; (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then; standard; norm; principle; to imitate; to follow; classifier for written items

Most common words with 则