票

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 票 (piào) has a rich history and etymology. It is composed of two parts: the radical 貝 (bèi), which represents money or wealth, and the phonetic component 票 (piào), which represents a tally or a slip of paper. The original meaning of 票 was "a tally used as evidence of payment or debt." In ancient China, tallies were often made of bamboo or wood and were split in half, with one half given to the creditor and the other half kept by the debtor. When the debt was repaid, the two halves of the tally would be matched together to verify the transaction.Over time, the meaning of 票 expanded to include other types of slips of paper that represented value or entitlement, such as tickets, receipts, and banknotes. In modern Chinese, 票 is commonly used to refer to a variety of documents, including train tickets, movie tickets, and lottery tickets. It can also be used to refer to a person's qualifications or credentials, such as a diploma or a certificate.The character 票 is also used in a number of compound words and phrases. For example, the word 發票 (fāpiào) means "invoice," while the phrase 選票 (xuǎnpiao) means "ballot." The character 票 is also used in the names of some Chinese currency units, such as the renminbi (人民幣), which is literally translated as "people's currency."In conclusion, the Chinese character 票 has a long and varied history, and its meaning has evolved over time to encompass a wide range of concepts related to money, value, and entitlement.