[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Body-Movements # 休 xiū rest; stop, cease ## Components [[亻(rén)]] [[木 (mù)]] [[木 mù]] ## Meaning In modern usage, the character "休 (xiū)" carries the meaning of "rest" or "to take a break," but it's also used to mean "to stop" or "to cease." Additionally, it can indicate "to end" or "to finish." For example, "休息 (xiūxí)" means "to rest," "停止 (tíngzhǐ)" means "to stop," and "结束 (jiéshù)" means "to end" or "to finish." Moreover, "休" can also refer to a divorce or the termination of a marital relationship. ## History The character "休 (xiū)" is a compound ideographic character. In Oracle Bone Script, Bronze Script, and Small Seal Script, it depicts a person resting under a tree. In Clerical Script, it evolved into its current form, "休." According to the "Shuowen Jiezi," an ancient Chinese dictionary, "休" is described as follows: "休, to rest, to stop. It consists of the radical 人 (person) next to 木 (tree). Its alternative form is 陳, pronounced xiū, and consists of the radical 广." The original meaning of "休" is a person resting under a tree. When someone rests, they stop their activities, thus the character also carries the extended meanings of "to stop," "to end," or "to finish." In ancient times, when a husband sent his wife back to her parents' home, it was called "休妻 (xiū qī)," meaning to end the marital relationship. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[休 xiū - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[休 xiū - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[休 xiū - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[休 xiū - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[休 xiū - reg.svg]]