老lǎo

Simplified Chinese (簡體). 老 (lǎo, "old") has remained unchanged from its traditional form — a pictograph that already in oracle bone script depicted an elderly person leaning on a staff, the curved line suggesting a bent back and the vertical stroke a cane. The character serves as a radical in 孝 (filial piety), 教 (teach), and 耆 (elderly), among others, preserving its ancient silhoue