[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Literature-and-Education # 戒 jiè to guard; to take precautions ## Components [[戈 (gē)]] [[廾 (gǒng)]] ## Meaning The character "戒" nowadays primarily means "to guard against" or "to be cautious." It also carries the connotation of "warning" or "caution." Additionally, it is commonly used to denote "giving up" or "quitting" something, particularly bad habits or vices, such as "戒烟" (quit smoking) or "戒酒" (quit drinking). ## History The character "戒" originally depicted two hands holding a halberd, symbolizing a vigilant and strict guard against external enemies or bad habits. The original meaning of "戒" is "to guard against" or "to be cautious." It's a compound ideograph. The upper part of the character resembles a halberd, while the lower part looks like two hands. Together, they symbolize the idea of being on guard, as if holding a weapon to defend oneself. The character is also used to mean "to warn" or "to caution," and in the context of "boundary" or "limit." Today, the original meaning of "戒" is still in use, as in "戒备" (be on guard) or "戒心" (be wary). Additionally, people often use "戒" to mean giving up bad habits, as in "戒烟" (quit smoking) or "戒酒" (quit drinking). Breaking a habit is much harder than forming one, after all. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[戒 jiè - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[戒 jiè - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[戒 jiè - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[戒 jiè - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[戒 jiè - reg.svg]]