The evolution process of the character Jun is as follows:
Jun, jūn, respect. From Yin Congkou, management and issuing orders. The ancient text shows the image of a king sitting down. So from the mouth. (1) Understanding. From Yin, from the mouth. "Yin" means to manage things; "from the mouth" means to issue orders. The combined meaning is: giving orders and governing the country. Original meaning: monarch, the supreme ruler of the country. (2) The general name for rulers at all levels above the ancient official level who hold land [sovereign; ruler] In the feudal era, it refers to emperors, princes, etc., and by extension it is an honorific title for people, equivalent to "you". A person with good moral character can also be called a gentleman.
From oracle bone inscriptions to regular script, the character Jun is mostly from Yin or Kou. Cong Yin is like holding a scepter in the hand, which means the person who holds the power; Congkou means the person who gives orders. From Yin and Kou, it means a person who has the power to govern and can give orders. The character "Yin" in bronze inscriptions and the Warring States period was gradually changed into a left-right symmetrical one. The ancient script of "Shuowen" was changed from 廾口, and the character "廻" still represents the power of governance. In the six books, it belongs to phonogram. ?
Knowing words. The upper part of "Jun" in oracle bone inscriptions is "Yin", and the lower part is "口". The image of Yin is shaped like a staff holding a scepter. It is said that the image is shaped like a hand holding a pen. The original meaning is to govern; to give orders verbally. The upper and lower parts are combined and understand each other, indicating the general name of rulers at all levels above the ancient officials who owned land. "Xunzi·Lun": "The king is the master of governance and management." Ancient emperors advocated inaction-based governance, and specific matters were handled by their subordinates. These people who presided over the handling of specific affairs were " Jun".
"Jun" is derived from the character "Yin", but the usage of the two characters in oracle bone inscriptions is not completely the same. In the Western Zhou Dynasty bronze inscriptions, the two characters are more completely differentiated, and there are only a few cases of mixed use (for example, Gongchen Gui has three Two pieces are called "Tian Yin" and one piece is called "Tian Jun"). The shape of the ancient Chinese character "jun" in "Shuowen Jiezi" has been distorted. This writing style appeared in Houma Meng's book, which was derived from the shape distortion of Xinfu ① and Xinfu ②. After the seal script, the vertical stroke of the cane was changed to the vertical stroke, and from there it developed into Han Li and regular script.
"Jun" is the name of the king and his ministers. The meaning of the word "jun" in oracle bone inscriptions may be used the same as "Yin". For example, Duo Jun, Duo Yin, Duo Chen, and Duo Gong all refer to human ministers. This meaning was still used in the Western Zhou Dynasty. In oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions, the supreme ruler of the Shang and Zhou dynasties is called "king" or "Yu Ren", but no one is called "jun". Throughout the two-week period, "Emperor" was always the unique title of the King of Zhou. In the two-week bronze inscriptions, court officials other than the King of Zhou and the leaders of vassal states and Fang states can be called "jun".
"Jun" or "天君" can be used to refer to the concubine of the Zhou king in bronze inscriptions, such as the "Jun" in Zuo Ce Luo Zun "Jun Ling Yu Zuo Ce Luo Anyi Bo"; it can also refer to "Jun" The wife of the eldest son is the wife of the eldest son, such as the "Jun family" in the fifth year of Xuan Sheng Gui's "Jun family order". "Jun" is also used in official names, such as "Lijun", "Bangjun", etc. "Jun" in bronze inscriptions is also used to refer to husband, reflecting the unity of monarchy and clan at that time, and the relationship between husband and wife was like the relationship between monarch and minister.
In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, titles for feudal lords were used, such as "Fan Jun" for Fan Jun's Li, "Qiong Jun" for Qiong Junhu, and "E Jun" for E Jun's Boat Festival. In the literature, Mengchang Jun, Xin Jun Lingjun, Chunshenjun, etc. "Jun" is also used as a verb to express the meaning of rule and governance (see Jin Jiang Ding), and can also be used as a surname.
Fang Hu, the king of Zhongshan in the Warring States Period, first saw the symmetry of "junior and minister", saying "the position of the monarch and his ministers was determined". At the same time, the monarch was also called "lord", such as "the subject and the master changed positions". This meaning was used by later generations as An important link in the evolution of "Emperor" and "Jun". "Jun" later evolved into the title of emperor, referring to the king of a country, that is, the supreme ruler.