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 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.

Its Pinyin is Shu4.