Category: Chinese Grammar

改（gǎi） Origin: 甲骨文中，“改”的样子是一个小孩跪着，旁边有一只手，拿着棍子打他，要他改正所犯的过错。所以字的本义是“改变”、“更正”。On oracle bone inscriptions, “改” resembles a kneeling child being beaten by a handheld stick as a way of urging the child to correct his mistakes. The character’s original meaning is “to change” or “to correct.”

即 (jí)
Origin: “即”是个会意字，字形的左边是一个盛食物的器皿，右边是一个跪坐着的人，面向食物，本义是“就食”。引申为“接近”、“靠近”。A typical associative compound, the left part of “即” resembles a utensil used to hold food, while the right part is a kneeling man facing the container. The original meaning was “to eat,” which extended to “to approach” and “to get close.”

品 (pǐn)
Origin: “品”字的本义是“众多”，字形用三个器皿（“口”）表示类别很多。后来引申为“种类”、“品质”，再引申为“评定”等义。The original meaning of “品” was “many.” It is composed of three utensils (“口”), which together mean “lots of categories.” That extended to “category,” “quality,” “to evaluate,” and other meanings.

卜(bǔ)
Origin: 古人用火在龟甲上烧出裂纹，用以预测吉凶，叫做“卜”，引申为“猜测”、“估计”。People in ancient times practiced divination according to the cracks on burnt tortoise shells. This was called “卜.” The character’s meaning extended to mean “to speculate” and “to estimate.”

鄙 (bǐ) Origin: “鄙”字原作“啚”。上面的方形表示人们的聚居地，下面的“ ”是仓廪。其本义是“边邑”。后多用于指“粗俗”、“轻视”。
The character “鄙” was originally written as “啚.” The upper square represents human settlements, and the lower “ ” referred to the granary. Its original meaning was “the border areas.” Later, it came to mean “vulgar” and “to despise.”