[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Motion-Conditions # 支 zhī to support, to sustain ## Components [[十 shí]] [[十 (shí)]] [[又 (yòu)]] [[又 yòu]] ## Meaning The character "支" nowadays primarily means "to support" or "to sustain." It can also refer to branches, tributaries, or streams. Additionally, it is commonly used as a verb in words like "支出" (expenditure) and "支撑" (support). ## History The character "支" originally depicted a hand picking bamboo branches. It is a compound ideogram: the upper part resembles a hand, while the lower part resembles bamboo with branches. The original meaning was to remove the branches from bamboo, hence the image of a hand picking the branches. In ancient texts, "支" also referred to branches, similar to the character "枝." Later, it was extended to mean tributaries or branches. Nowadays, it is also used as a verb, such as in "支出" (expenditure) and "支撑" (support). ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[支 zhī - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ? ### Seal Script ![[支 zhī - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[支 zhī - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[支 zhī - reg.svg]]