[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Politics-and-Military # 矢 shǐ arrow ## Components [[丿 (piě)]] [[天 tiān]] ## Meaning The character 矢 (shǐ) originally meant "arrow." It derived from a pictograph resembling an arrow with feathers. Additionally, it serves as a radical, often associated with meanings related to arrows. In its extended sense, it can connote "straight" or "direct." For instance, the phrase "矢口香认" (shǐkǒuxiāngrèn) means to firmly and unequivocally deny something. ## History The character 矢 (shǐ) originated as a pictograph resembling an arrow with feathers. Its original meaning is "arrow." As a radical, it's often related to arrows in terms of meaning. The character 天 (tiān) is also a pictograph. In oracle bone and bronze scripts, it resembled the shape of an arrow. The character simplified over time, becoming more abstract in regular script. In《说文•矢部》, it describes 矢 as "an arrow used for shooting." It's composed of elements representing a person, resembling the head, arrow nock, and feathers of an arrow. Historically, a person named 夷牟 (Yímóu) was among the first to make arrows. Many characters related to arrows derive from 矢. The original meaning of "实" is "arrow," but it also extends to "straight." For example, "矢口香认" (shǐkǒuxiāngrèn) means to firmly deny something without ambiguity. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ### Bronze Script ### Seal Script ### Clerical Script ### Regular Script ![[矢 shǐ - sello.svg]] ![[矢 shǐ - reg.svg]] ![[矢 shǐ - ora.svg]] ![[矢 shǐ - cle.svg]] ![[矢 shǐ - bronce.svg]]