Amazing Chinese Characters (817) Universe (Time) - 宙

The shell bone script of the character for Universe (Time)  

The door like outside is house, the inside is character for Due To (Post 164), 

 

A water or oil drops into a container, here means an ancient water clocks for timekeeping.

 

The water clock could count the time infinitely. Therefore the character means infinite time, an universe time.

Chinese now use a phrase 宇宙 (infinite space and time) for Universe. 

The big seal script of the character for Universe (time)

Similar to shell bone script except the lines are more smooth and symmetrical.

The small seal script of the character for Universe (time)

Similar to big seal script.

The clerical script of the character for Universe (time) 

The outside big door like becomes a roof like for house, the inside 由 is similar to older scripts. 

The song typeface of the character for Universe (time)

Similar to clerical script.

The pinyin of the character for Universe (time) is Zhou4.