Deciphering Oracle Bone Script | 今 (jīn)
Source:HICC
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2025-04-10 15:35
甲骨文“今”字由上方倒写的“口”和下方一短横组成。原意指“口舌朝下说话”，可能是俯首“呻吟”或“吟咏”的“吟”的原字，在卜辞中已假借为表示时态意义的“今”。
The oracle bone script form of the character "今(jīn)" is composed of aninverted "口(kǒu)" at the top and a short horizontal line below. Originally meaning "speaking with the mouth downward", this script is considered to be theoriginal character for "吟(yín)", which means "groaning" or "chanting" whilebowing. In divination inscriptions, this character was appropriated to signify thetemporal concept of "now"or "today".
Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Tong Lin
