Lesson 2

Chinese Studies Classroom: In Oracle Bone Script, the character “上” consists of a long horizontal line representing a baseline and a short horizontal line above it, indicating a position above the baseline. Thus, the original meaning of “上” is “high” or “above.” By extension, it refers to higher ranks or superior quality. It can also function as a verb, meaning to ascend, move upward, or advance.

Chinese Studies Classroom: The character “課/课” has “言/讠” on the left as the semantic component, indicating its relation to speech or language. The right component, “果,” serves as the phonetic component, suggesting that in ancient times, the pronunciation of “課/课” was similar to that of “果.”

Chinese Studies Classroom: In Oracle Bone Script, the character “興” features a stretcher-like object in the center, with four hands at the corners, symbolizing the collective effort of lifting an object. Therefore, the original meaning of “興” is “to rise” or “to get up.” When used in an abstract sense, it signifies “to emerge” or “to arise.” Over time, it further extended to mean being in high spirits or feeling happy. When it specifically conveys the sense of “happiness,” the character is pronounced as “xìng.”

Chinese Studies Classroom: The ancient form of the character “奮” resembles a bird flying out from its clothing. Therefore, the original meaning of “奮” refers to a bird flapping its wings and flying. It later extended to mean putting in one’s utmost effort to do something, and further evolved to include meanings such as “rallying” and “excited.”

Chinese Studies Classroom: One interpretation of the character “師/师” is that in oracle bone script, its shape resembles two small hills standing upright. In ancient times, when armies went on expeditions, they often camped near hills, so the upright placement of “𠂤” (hill) came to represent the concept of an army. Thus, “師/师” originally referred to a large army. Later, it was extended to mean a teacher or someone who possesses specialized skills or knowledge.

Chinese Studies Classroom: In oracle bone script, the character “中” resembles an upright flag, with two flag tassels at the top and bottom fluttering in the wind. The “口” in the middle of the two tassels represents the meaning of “center.”

Chinese Studies Classroom: In oracle bone script, the character “文” resembles the figure of a standing person. Its original meaning referred to “tattoos” and was later extended to signify patterns and textures. Over time, it further evolved to encompass meanings such as writing, adornment, civil and military matters, astronomy, and more.

Chinese Studies Classroom: In bronze script, the character “班” has a knife in the middle and jade on both sides, resembling the act of using a knife to cut jade. The original meaning of this character was to divide jade. Later, it extended to refer to rank, class, or an organization formed based on duties.

Chinese Studies Classroom: The radical “阝” can appear on either the left or the right side of a Chinese character. When it is on the right side, it is derived from the character “邑” (yì), which is associated with cities. The original meaning of “那” was a place name, and it later extended to mean the pronoun “that.”

Chinese Studies Classroom: The original form of the character “國” (guó) was “或” (huò). In Shang dynasty oracle bone script, the character “國” is composed of the symbol for a weapon, “戈” (gē), and the symbol for a boundary, “囗” (wéi). Together, they convey the idea of using weapons to defend the territory and the four directions outside the city.

Chinese Studies Classroom: One explanation is that in the Bronze Script, the character “是” consists of a sundial on top and the character “正” (upright) below, with the basic meaning of upright and not skewed. It later extended to mean correctness and further evolved into a response word, expressing agreement or approval. After the Han dynasty, “是” was used as a copula to indicate judgment.

Chinese Studies Classroom: In the character “想,” the component “相” serves as the phonetic element, indicating that the ancient pronunciation of “想” was similar to that of “相.” The “心” (heart) component represents the semantic element. In ancient Chinese thought, the heart was considered the organ of thought, so characters containing “心” or its variant “忄” often relate to mental or emotional activities. For example: 忙 (máng, busy), 忘 (wàng, forget), and so on.

Chinese Studies Classroom: In Oracle Bone Script, the character “名” is composed of “口” (mouth) and “夕” (night). In ancient times, when people traveled at night and couldn’t see each other, they would call out their own names. Therefore, the meaning of “名” is name.

Chinese Studies Classroom: The character “因” first appeared in Shang dynasty oracle bone inscriptions. One interpretation of its ancient form suggests it resembles a person lying on a mat. Later, it extended to mean “relying on,” “depending on,” “following,” “inheriting,” “reason,” or “cause.” From the meanings of “reason” and “cause,” it further developed into the sense of “because.”

Chinese Studies Classroom: In oracle bone script, the character “為” depicts an elephant with a hand above its head. The original meaning of the character was to lead the elephant by hand, symbolizing taking action. Later, the character evolved from the meaning of “doing” to also represent “for,” “on behalf of,” or “because of.”

Chinese Studies Classroom: In oracle bone script, the upper part of the character “家” (宀) represents a roof, while the lower part (豕) resembles a pig. The original meaning of “家” was a house or dwelling, and it later extended to mean “family.”