Zi is a first-class word, which was first seen in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Its original meaning is baby, refers to children, and also refers to the next generation of men, daughters, princes and so on. Direct descendants also refer to people, subjects, the first place of the twelve branches, and the results.
The origin of Chinese characters:
Zi, pictograph. In terms of glyphs, the word Zi in Oracle Bone Inscriptions has three writing systems: the first writing system is used to represent the first branch of the twelve branches in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, such as the fetal head and two hairy shins, and then the hair is simplified or marked on the head.
In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the shape of the characters changed slightly, and the upper limbs were wrapped in swaddling clothes, and then the shape was slightly incorrect. Shuo Wen Jie Zi added a symbol under the word, which Xu Shen interpreted as several, meaning "the word was written in its infancy, and the arm and shin were on several".
The second writing system, the upper part is like a child's hair, skull and two arms, and the lower part is like two combined shins, which later evolved into the sub-characters in China ancient prose Shuo Wen Jie Zi.
The third system is based on the hieroglyphics created by the image of "an infant", but it is completely linear: both hands are connected into an oblique short horizontal line; The body and lower limbs are simplified into a slightly oblique vertical line; It emphasizes the big head of a baby, but because it is carved on the hard tortoise shell bone with sharp tools, it is not easy to carve an arc, so the head of the word "Zi" becomes square.
The word "Zi" in inscriptions on bronze inscriptions before the Zhou Dynasty is materialized, just like "a baby". In the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty, the prefix "Zi" has an outline, and the upper limbs and body are thin into lines.
On this basis, it developed into the word "Zi" in Biography of Qin Dynasty. With the development, great changes have taken place in Han Li's sub-form: the head of the sub-form has become a triangle, two small hands are stretched horizontally, and the body and lower limbs have become bent and vertical. The sub-characters in regular script are derived from this.
Interpretation of ancient books:
1, Guangyun: Ye. Ceng Yun: Black Leaves. Yi Xu Guazhuan: There are men and women, and then there are couples. There are lovers, and then there are fathers and sons. Biography of the White Tiger: Wang Fu, Tian Mu and Tian Zi. The son of the Emperor is called Zi Yuan. Book Gu Ming: In yuan.
2. The Book of Rites and Mourning: The son of a vassal is called the son.
3, and every suitable eldest son, son, that is, son. The second son of his wife, or the son of his concubine, is also called Zhi Zi. "Book of Rites Quli": If Zhi Zi doesn't offer sacrifices, he will sue Zongzi.