Amazing Chinese Characters (792) Allow - 许（許）

The bronze script of character Allow is

 

The left is character Say - 言 (Post 158), the right is character Noon - 午 (Post 417). Ancient Chinese believed that the shortest distance to God in the sky is noon, if you want to make a wish to God, noon is the best time, or the only time you can convey your wish to God. The original meaning of the character is "Make a Wish, but expended later on to Allow, Permit, Promise, etc.

The big seal script of character Allow is

 

Similar to bronze script.

 

The small seal script of character Allow is

Similar to big seal script on the left, the right part, small seal script is more curved, and the dot in big seal script becomes a short line because small seal script has not dot, all dots are replaced by short lines.

The clerical script of character Allow is

The left is character Say in clerical script, the right is character Noon. The curves in older scripts become straight strokes, which is the clerical script characteristic.

 

The simplified song typeface of character Allow is

 

The left is Radical Say, the right is character Noon.

 

The pinyin of character 许 is Xu3. 

 

 

 

Amazing Chinese Characters (791) Place (for human activities) - 所

The bronze script of character Place is

The left is character Household - 户 (Post 271), the right is character Catty - 斤 (Post 698), here is split firewood. The character means a warehouse or storeroom for firewood.

The character means nowadays office, residential house, a place for human activity.  

The big seal script of character Place is

Similar to bronze script.

Small seal script of character Place is

The left is similar to that in older scripts, the right changed to more curved.

The clerical script of character Place is

The left is similar to that of older script, the right is changed to more straight lines. 

The song typeface of character Place is

Very similar to clerical script.

The pinyin of character Place - 所 is Suo3.
 

Amazing Chinese characters (790) Less - 少

The shell bone script of character Less is

Four grains of sand. We learnt that three grains of sand mean character small or little - 小 (Post 135), right now character Few has four grains of sand. The relationship between them is similar that of small and little in English, similar but some difference. I will talk more in this section.

The bronze script of character Less is

Three small grains of sands, one long curve is the water flow. The character describe the wash the sand with water, which makes the sands less because a lot of soil is washed out, only the pure sand left. 

The big seal script of character Less is

 

Very similar to bronze script, but the curve one for water flow is not very long. 

 

The small seal script of character Less is 

 

The curve is bent much more, only water flow could be like that.

 

The clerical script of character Less is 
 

Similar to small seal script but the curve live becomes falling left stroke. 

 

Song typeface of character Less is

Similar to clerical script.

 

The Pinyin of character Few is Shao2, or Shao4.

 

When it is Shao2, means Less, Few or Little. When it is Shao4, means people in young age.

 

 

Amazing Chinese Characters (789) Lucky - 吉

 The shell bone script of character Lucky is 

 

The top is a weapon, the bottom is like character Mouth (Post 16) but it is a container to hold the weapon. The character means that people put the weapon back to its container, which imply that the war is over, the world is peaceful from now.

The bronze script of character Lucky is 

The top is a ancient weapon which may not exist nowadays, the bottom is the weapon holder. Put the weapon into holder, the war is over, the future is bright.

The big seal script of character Lucky is

The top is like character Soil (Post 223), but it is a weapon. Maybe due to a little bit lazy, people didn't write it similar to bronze script. The bottom is the weapon holder. 

The small seal script of character Lucky is

Similar to big seal script.

The clerical script of character Lucky is

Similar to small seal script.

The Pinyin of the character is Ji2.
 

Amazing Chinese Characters (788) Lu (surname) - 卢（盧）

The shell bone script of character Lu is

a simple stove outside. The top is the pot, and the bottom are support legs. 

The bronze script of character Lu is

the top is a tiger without limbs, the bottom is character Utensil - 皿 (Post 144).  People boiled the tiger body in the wild. 

The big seal script of character Lu is

The top is tiger head, the bottom is the character Utensil, the middle is character Due To (Post 164), which means here Oil,  rom the tiger meat, or added oil. 

The small seal script of character Lu is

similar to big seal in the middle and bottom parts, but the tiger head on the top changed, some lines are disconnected, making it difficult to understand. 

The clerical script of character Lu is

Similar to small seal script but the top change is confusing. 

The traditional song typeface of character Lu is 
 

Similar to clerical script.

The simplified song typeface of character is

Don't know where it was from.

Pinyin of the character 卢 is Lu2.
 

Amazing Chinese characters (787) Fundamental - 元

Shell bone script of character Fundamental is

The top is "一“, like character One; the rest is character Unexpected - 兀 (Post 611), which is a person without head. 

The 一 on the top is an indicative sign, which means that this is where I mean. It is the head in this character but it is not for the biological head, which is 头 (頭） it is the implication of the head: the fundamental organ of human, also means "basic", "first", "most important", etc.

Bronze script of character Fundamental is

Similar to shell bone script, but the bottom one is deformed due to the immature metallurgical technology at that time. 

Big seal script of character Fundamental is

Similar to bronze script, the bottom human shape is simplified, not as pictographic as shell bone script.

Small sell script of character Fundamental is

The bottom Human body changed a lot: the left arm extends to ground, and the right body shape bent more and bent plus reverse bent. The purpose of doing so is to make the script more symmetrical and smoother. 

Clerical script of character Fundamental is

Similar to small seal script, but simplified, the strokes are outwards from inwards.

Song typeface of character Fundamental is

Similar to clerical script.

The pinyin of the character is Yuan2.

Amazing Chinese characters (785) Head - 头（頭）

The shell bone script of character Head is

The left is character Bean - 豆 (Post 174), the right is character Page - 页 (Post 257). In the Shang Dynasty, people steamed the head of captive or slave to worship ancestors and gods. The character Bean - 豆, is a cooking cauldron used to boil or steam foods. Here is to steam the human head for worshipping.

The big seal script of character Head is

Similar to bronze script.

The small seal script of character Head is

Similar to big seal script.

The clerical script of character Head is

Similar to older scripts but most curves become straight lines.

The simplified song typeface of character Head is

It is from nowhere, completely disconnected with older scripts.

The pinyin of the character Head is Tou2.