[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Politics-and-Military # 奴 nú servant; slave ## Components [[女 (nǚ)]] [[女 nǚ]] [[又 (yòu)]] [[又 yòu]] ## Meaning The character "奴 (nú)" is rarely used in modern Chinese except in some set phrases or historical contexts. Its main contemporary use is in the compound word "奴才 (nú cái)," which humorously refers to oneself or someone else as a servant or subordinate. However, this usage is limited, and the character is not commonly used in everyday language. ## History Originally, "奴" referred to a female slave. In ancient times, male slaves were called "隶" (lì), while female slaves were referred to as "奴." Later, it was used as a modest way of self-reference for both men and women. For example, "老奴" (lǎo nú) for men and "奴家" (nú jiā) for women. While in ancient times, "奴" was primarily used to refer to female slaves, in modern times, it's often used metaphorically to describe someone servile or subservient. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[奴 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[奴bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[奴 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ? ### Regular Script ![[奴 reg.svg]]