Amazing Chinese Characters (555) Browse - 览（覽）

 The big seal script of character Browse is

The top left is character Minister, actually a big eye. The top right is a person bent his back to watch downward (See character Facing, Post 422). The right bottom is character Utensil (Post 144) with a dot in it, which is something such as food.

The bottom part of the character is character Meet (Post 201), emphasizing the character meaning of Looking At. 

The small seal script of character Browse is 

Similar to the big seal script with the top right changed a lot

The clerical script of character Browse is

Similar to small seal script except the top right which is changed too much to be similar to that in small seal script.

The traditional song typeface of the character is

Almost same as the clerical script.

The simplified song typeface of the character is

All changed, no pictography exist anymore.

The Pinyin of the character is Lan3.

 

Amazing Chinese Characters (554) Everyone Agrees - 佥（僉）

  The big seal script of character Everyone Agrees is

The top triangle is mouth downward, under which are two people with mouth on top. The meaning of the character is that two or more people are discussing something, eventually they get consensus. The top mouth expresses the final consensus, which is not just everyone, but something everyone agrees.

The small seal script of character Everyone Agrees is

Similar to the big seal script.

The clerical script of character Everyone Agrees is

The two people in the bottom are changed a little bit, overall it is similar to older scripts.

The traditional song typeface of the character is

Similar to clerical script.

The simplified song typeface of the character is

The top is same as older scripts, but the bottom changed completely. How is it changed? I don't know, probably from its cursive script.

The pinyin of character 僉/佥 is Qian1.

The character has not been used as a single character in the text long time ago, but used as a part in many compound characters. The meanings except Consensus, are more, but overall is to make things smaller, neater, clearer, more order physically or mentally. 

Amazing Chinese Characters (553) Elder Brother - 兄

 The big seal script of character Elder Brother is

The top is character Mouth, under which is a person: One person speaks. In 3500+ years ancient time, among the brothers, only the elder brother was the first one who was acknowledged by community when he was 20 years old, he was granted an official name, he could vote, and took responsibility. Even he was not 20, he was the only one who could talk to visitors when parents were not at home.

The bronze script of character Elder Brother is

Similar to the shell bone script.

The small seal script of the character is

The bottom is changed to separated two legs.

The clerical script of character Elder Brother is

The bottom is character Child. The bottom of older scripts are character Person who normally is adult because in the ancient time, the adults could vote, take actions, have responsibility. The difference between elder brother and younger brother was great. As time passed, the difference is not so great in adults, only when they are children in a family.

The pinyin of the character is Xiong1.

Amazing Chinese Characters (552) - Tree - 树（樹）

 The big seal script of character Tree is

The left is character Drum even though not exactly same, the right part is a hand. The hand holds a big Drum vertically

The small seal script of character Tree is

The left is Wood Radical, here means tree. To set up a big drum against a big tree is the first thing for a big show or celebration ceremony. In 3500+ years ago, big gathering could only be held outside, no big building could hold many people. Probably, every time, the drum was set up against the big tree, gradually the drum and tree are tied together. Tree is always there, but drum is not. the character then is used to present the tree much more than the drum, eventually, it just means tree.

The clerical script of character Tree is

Similar to small seal script.

The song typeface of traditional character is

Same as clerical script.

The song typeface of simplified character is

The middle is changed to 又（character Again), not a drum any more. I don't know the reason for this change, it seems unreasonable simplification. 

The Pinyin of character Tree is Shu4.

Amazing Chinese Characters (551) Drum - 壴

 The shell bone script of character Drum is

or 

This is a side view of a drum, the drum faces are toward to side, not on the top. 

The top three are formed by character Ox (on the higher image), and the drum and support on the bottom. Many people believe that the character Ox indicates that the drum face is made from Ox skin. The lower image doesn't have full character Ox, only the top part of character Ox, people believe that it is a decoration of an ox head.

The bronze script of the character is

Similar to shell bone script.

The small seal script of the character is

Some similarity to old scripts.

The song typeface of character Drum is

Its Pinyin is Shu4.

The character as Drum discontinued to be used, probably sometime in Qin Dynasty or earlier because there is no clerical script of the character, which means that the character was not used in Han Dynasty (right after Qin Dynasty).

Another character Drum - 鼓 (Post 138) has replaced the one in this post. The simplified Chinese has removed it, only traditional Chinese still keeps it. But it exists in many compound characters, such as 鼓, the one replaced it.

Amazing Chinese Characters (550) Mud - 泥

 The big seal script of character Mud is

The left is character Water (Post 13), the right is character Buddhist Nun (Post 549). The right one original means clingy in relationship, here it means sticky mud. 

The small seal script of character Mud is

The left is Water, the right is Buddhist Nun, meaning sticky.

The clerical script of character Mud is

The left is Water Radical, the right is character Buddhist Nun.

The Pinyin of character Mud is Ni2, same as 尼 - Buddhist Nun.

Amazing Chinese Characters (549) Buddhist Nun - 尼

 The big seal script of character Buddhist Nun is

The top 

is character Body (Post 423).

The bottom

is character Dragger (Post 453), but here means person, a little child.

An adult and a child back to back, they love each other, so they sit very close together.

The small seal script of the character is 

Similar to big seal script.

The clerical script of the character is

Still some similarity to older scripts.

The pinyin of the character is Ni2.

When and why the character means Buddhist Nun long time ago are unknown. 

 

Amazing Chinese Characters (548) Easy - 易

 The shell bone script of character Easy is

The left are three water drops, the right is half of character of Enon and Mortise. When it is difficult to put Enon and Mortise in position, but it is easier to do so when you spray some water on Enon and Mortise. This is my explanation.

There is another shell bone script for character Easy

People believe that ancient Chinese extracted metal Tin by heating soil containing Tin, the Tin has very low melting point, can be easily melt. The diagram of the character above shows the transfer of melted Tin between two cups, one could be used as pan for melting Tin, another could be used as container of Tin.

It is easy to melt Tin, which is the meaning of the character. Also the exchange of Tin between two cups means Change, which is another meaning of the character: change hands (trade), change positions, etc.

The bronze script of character Easy is

Similar to shell bone script, just the Enon and Mortise is flipped. 

There are another bronze scripts of the character 

The left is the cup with melted Tin, means Change, or Easy (to melt). The right one is lizard. There is no explanation online for why the character has this kind form. What I guess is that the people at that time (in East Zhou Dynasty, about 1000 years later after the Shang Dynasty when the shell bone scripts were created), didn't know the original meaning of the character, misunderstood the meaning of the pictography of the earlier scripts, mistakenly changed the drawing of the character. The Lizard is nothing to do with Easy.

The small seal script of character Easy is

It is obvious heritage from the right form of the bronze script, which is not right.

The top is character Sun (Post 4), the bottom is character Do Not (Post 547). People in the sun get sweating easily. The character is totally different approach the meaning from the older scripts, but it is very reasonable. 

The clerical script of character Easy is

similar to small seal script.

The pinyin of character Easy is Yi4.

 

Amazing Chinese Characters (547) Do Not - 勿

 The shell bone script of character Do Not is

A person sweats profusely, the short left-falling lines are sweat drops. It may be due to sick, the person bent as S shape, can't stand straight because he is sick. Do not be like that, it is not good. However, it may be not sick, just because it is too hot. 

In Dictionary of Pictography, the above shell bone script is explained as a Bow (Post 43), I disagree. It is character Body (Post 423). Let's see the shell bone scripts for the two.

Shell bone script for character Bow

Shell bone script for character Body

We can see that shell bone script of Body is the one in character Do Not.

However, Dictionary of Pictography may refer to the bronze script of character Bow

Which is similar. 

But I think that the Body is the one, not the Bow. We should compare shell bone scripts, even though bronze script is close to the time when shell bone scripts were used, but there are hundreds years apart. 

Secondly, the shell bone script of character Pee (Post 500) shows the similar situation

Dictionary of Pictography explains that the dots are drops of poison liquid on the bow to kill enemy, which is not reasonable because poison liquid should put on Arrow, not on Bow. Besides, only a little bit poison needed, not spraying everywhere. Therefore, it is person who is sweating, not a bow with poison liquid dropping heavily.

The bronze script of character Do Not is

More sweating drops.

The small seal script of character Do Not is

The sweat drops becomes long lines. 

The clerical script of character Do Not

Similar to small seal script.

The Pinyin of the character is Wu4.

Amazing Chinese Characters (546) Stretch - 伸

 The big seal script of character Stretch is

The left is character Person (Post 37), and the right is character Extend (Post 544). A person extends his body, which is Stretch. 

The small seal script of character Stretch is

Similar to big seal script.

The clerical script of character Stretch is

The left is Radical of Person, the right is character Extend.

The Pinyin of the character is Shen1, same as 申.

伸 is not just stretching, but reaching out too. He reaches out to shake her hand, which he is not stretching his arm and hand, just nature moving his hand forward, in Chinese, use 伸。