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Learn one Chinese Character a day - "分"

As what we have learned in the topic for "八", 

"分" means Divide.

Anyway, let us check "分" evolution history still (image get from http://www.vividict.com/)

分 evolution history

From its Oracle script  , we can see clearly that  - "刀" was added into   to create this new character.

I guess you could have a basic understanding of what "會意/会意 huìyì: Logical aggregates" means as one of the method used to create Chinese characters.

Now let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy art with "分" inside:

三分王业隆中对

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "八"

Today we shall examine another Chinese character "八". As mentioned in topic for "切", its Oracle script is . It was also created with "一", but unlike "七", this time "一" has been cut through to be divided into two parts. It is the subsequent result of Cutting (original meaning of number Seven "七") and thus was used to mean next number in sequence after Seven - "七", 

so "八" means Eight. 

Let us see its evolution history (image get from http://www.vividict.com):

Evolution History of 八

八 is borrowed from  , which means "divide" originally, to represent number Eight. Thus same as how Chinese ancestors has created "切", "刀" was added under "八" to mean Divide (with a knife) - by a new Chinese character "分".

As usual, now let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy art with "八" inside:

八月湖水平， 涵虚混太清

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "切"

When we check Chinese character "七", we got to know the meaning of "切" already.

"切" means Cut.

It is still good to know its evolution history (Image get from http://www.vividict.com):

切 evolution history

We now know that "七" was created to have meaning of "Cutting through 一", try to guess the meaning of "八", whose Oracle script is  ?

Now let us enjoy a Chinese Calligraphy art with "切" inside:

博学而笃志， 切问而近思

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "七"

Today, let us examine Chinese character "七". As what we have mentioned in our last topic for "刀", it means Seven. The question is why Chinese ancestors used "七" to mean Seven.

As usual, let us check "七" evolution history first (image get from http://www.vividict.com ): 

Evolution History of "七"

Before our explanation, you need to have the knowledge of "Yin and Yang" concept: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

Six - "六" is considered the most Yin number. Why? "六" is created to contain the meaning of re-produce and multiply as well, like female - Yin.

After Six - "六", Yin is reducing, however nothing can be suddenly totally reversed, there is a progress. Then the following number of Six, which is Seven - "七", it can be represented by showing that progress.

"七" is created with "一", look at its Oracle script -, it is to mean that Yin is cutting through Yang ( "一" is a Yang number)  to appear.

When time passes,  becomes too similar to Chinese number Ten "十", at time of Bronze script, the vertical line was bended to be , to differentiate it from "十". And after bending, vertical line becomes , which looks like exactly a reaping hook.

As you can see that "七" contains the meaning of Cut, to differentiate the Cut with number Seven, Chinese ancestors added "刀" to "七" to mean Cut (with a knife) to create a new Chinese character - "切".

Now we know "七" means Seven.

Let us enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with "七" inside:

右十七帖一卷

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "刀"

We have learnt Chinese numbers from One to Six as "一"，"二"， “三”, "四"，"五", "六". Before we jump to Seven, it is better to know another Chinese character first - "刀".

You might wonder what is the meaning of "刀", and how is it related to Seven?

Anyway, let us check "刀" evolution history first:

Chinese character 刀

"刀" it is a Pictograph character. Its Oracle script was straightforward to show an image of following object:

刀 - Knife

Chinese ancestors cleverly leave the sharp edge of invisible to actually show its  sharpest edge of the weapon.



"刀" Seal scripthas curved the handle shape, as it evolved to , the upper part of the knife handle is simplified out.  is quite close to what we are using now: "刀".

so "刀" means Knife. It is a cold weapon. 

As usual, let us end this topic with a Chinese calligraphy art with "刀" inside.

饮马渡秋水，水寒风似刀

And you might still wonder why Knife is related to Chinese number Seven - "七". You will understand it after knowing the way how "七" is created.

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "手"

Today we check another new Chinese character - "手", which is drawing of a part of a human body.
Before you can do a wild guess, let us see its evolution history as usual first - (image get from http://www.vividict.com)

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "手"

Oracle script of  "手" is still missing, its Bronze script ,  is the Pictograph of a Hand with all fingers fully open, as the picture below -

手

Have to admit that you need very good imagination ability to predict that  refers to Hand. Oracle script might be much closer to the picture above. But the basic idea is still there.

Seal script  followed the path of  and eventually evolved to current "手".

Now it is time to enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with "手" inside:

慈母手中线， 游子身上衣

 

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "马"

"马" is the simplified Chinese character as "馬" is the Traditional character. It is probably kind of hard to guess its meaning from its currently way of writing, let us check its evolution history - (image get from http://www.vividict.com)

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "马"

 Oracle script of "马" - is a drawing of "an animal with long face, big eyes, flying mane, long tail with hoof". I rotated the original picture by 90 degrees -which is more clear to above description. When we imagine an animal running fast with mane flying, the first jump into our mind is definitely - Horse, as the picture below.

"马" or "馬"   

Bronze script simplified the writing but with an empathize on Horse's major characteristics - Flying Mane, Seal script  and Clerical script followed the path of Bronze script and eventually we have what we are using now as Traditional Chinese character . During Regular script, also emerged and is now adopted as Simplified Chinese character.

"马" or "馬" now specifically means Horse. However when it is used as part of a " 会意 huìyì: Logical aggregates" character, it refers to its most primitive meaning "an animal with long face, big eyes, flying mane, long tail with hoof", like "驴" (Donkey).

There is a very famous painter in China whose name is 徐悲鸿 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xu_Beihong). He is well known of his wonderful Chinese Ink Painting of Horses. Below is one of his artworks.

马 - 徐悲鸿 

As usual, let us end our learning today with a Chinese Calligraphy with "马" or "馬" inside -

卧马居

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "化"

We have learnt "人" and some of the 会意字, created with "人", (会意 - huìyì: Logical aggregates, in which two or more parts are used for their meaning. This yields a composite meaning, which is then applied to the new character.) which are "从", "比", "北". Today we check for "化". Let us look at its evolution history first - (image get from http://www.vividict.com)

Learn one Chinese Character a day - "化"

"化" in Oracle scriptis composed of  ( A man walking upright to one direction ) and  (A man headstand walking to opposite direction). Chinese ancestors thought the biggest change is that a man's behaviors are completely reversed. And thus  means Change. And it is then extended to mean Transform as well.
Bronze script, Seal script are still close variation of Oracle script . While Clerical scriptis greatly simplified to be close to what we are using now - "化".

To end today's learning, as usual we enjoy a Chinese calligraphy art with "化" inside:

造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓。......  会当凌绝顶，一览众山小。
  

Above poem is describing one of five greatest mountain in China. Below is one of its picture.

会当凌绝顶，一览众山小。