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旧jiù

Character evolution

旧

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Simplified · Today

Shuowen

Old. The character depicts a bird (like a stork) perched on a branch or nest in oracle bone script, originally representing a type of long-legged water bird; the current form with the mortar-like radical 臼 developed through script simplification, and the meaning "old, former" arose later from phonetic borrowing, as the bird's longevity made it a natural symbol for antiquity.

Pinyin

jiù· HSK 2