[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Politics-and-Military # 班 bān class; group; shift ## Components [[王 wáng]] [[王 (wáng，yù)]] [[刂 (dāo)]] ## Meaning Today, the character "班" typically refers to organizational units such as classes, groups, or shifts in the context of work or study. It can also denote scheduled modes of transportation, like flights or the last bus of the day. Overall, it signifies divisions or organized groups in various settings. ## History The character "班" originally depicted the action of splitting a piece of jade with a knife. Over time, it came to represent the idea of dividing or organizing groups, such as in terms like "training class" or "theatrical troupe." Additionally, it can signify a return, as in "returning to the court after a military campaign." When used as a quantifier, it can refer to a group of people or a scheduled mode of transportation, like a flight or the last bus of the day. In the context of work, it can denote a scheduled period of time, such as "morning shift" or "evening shift." In modern usage, "班" often refers to organizational units like classes or companies. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ? ### Bronze Script ![[班 bān - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[班 bān - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[班 bān - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[班 bān - reg.svg]]