[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Abstract-Concepts \ #Time-and-Space # 中 zhōng center, middle ## Components [[口 (kǒu)]] [[丨 (gǔn)]] ## Meaning The Chinese character "中" (zhōng) has several meanings, including: 1. Middle, center, or within. 2. Central or in the midst of. 3. Among or in the middle of. 4. In, inside, or within. 5. China or Chinese. ## History The Chinese character "中" (zhōng) has an ancient origin, dating back thousands of years. Its evolution can be traced through various oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, seal script, and clerical script. The earliest forms of the character "中" (zhōng) depicted a person with arms outstretched, possibly indicating the concept of being in the middle or central position. Over time, the character evolved into a more abstract form, with the arms becoming shorter and eventually disappearing, leaving the current form of the character, which resembles a square with a line through the middle. Throughout its evolution, the character "中" (zhōng) has retained its meaning of "middle," "center," or "within," and it is used in a wide range of words and phrases in the Chinese language. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[中 oracular.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[中 zhōng - Bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[中 zhōng - Sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[中 zhōng - Clerical.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[中 zhōng - Regular.svg]]