Amazing Chinese Characters (690) Technique - 术（術）

The big seal script of character Technique is

The middle is character Fork (Post 179), plus two long dots which is a wood shelf for the long fork which was a weapon in ancient time. The outside 

is character Road or Street.

People who were good at the weapons including long fork showed their skills of operating them on the street, some audiences left some money in the hat or other container for them. People called them "The Street Artists". 

The big seal script of Fork 

Why are there two dots each side? They are legs or supports of the weapon shelf.

The original meaning of the character is Special Skill, not Technique. The character still has the meaning of special skills, also technique, and art now. 

The small script of character Technique is

Similar to big seal script, inside is fork and shelf, the two sides are streets. 

The clerical script of the character Technique is

The outside is Road or Street, the middle is fork and shelf. The curves of fork are pulled to straight lines.

The simplified song typeface of character Technique is

Just the middle fork and shelf, street is disappeared.

The pinyin of the character is Shu4.

术 is used much wider than before, could be art, medicine, technology, special skills, etc.