[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Elements # 铁 tiě iron ## Components [[钅 (jīn)]] [[失 shī]] ## Meaning Today, the character "铁" (tiě) primarily means "iron." It refers to the metallic element iron, known for its strength and versatility in various industrial applications. Additionally, it can be used metaphorically to convey qualities like firmness or unyieldingness. For instance, it can be found in words like "铁路" (tiělù - railway) and "铁汉" (tiěhàn - iron man, describing someone with great strength or determination). ## History The character "铁" (tiě) is a compound ideogram. The component 金 (钅) indicates that iron is a metal, while 载 (dài) suggests that iron has many uses. In the simplified form, 失 (shī) replaces 载, implying that iron is a low-cost metal that has lost the original precious value associated with metals. The primary meaning is the name of the metal iron. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ？ ### Bronze Script ？ ### Seal Script ![[铁 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[铁 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[铁 reg.svg]]