起

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 起 (qǐ) has a rich history and etymology. It is composed of two parts: the radical 日 (rì), which means "sun," and the phonetic component 起 (qǐ), which is a pictograph of a person standing up. This combination suggests the idea of "rising" or "beginning."The earliest known use of 起 dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE), where it was used in oracle bone inscriptions. In these inscriptions, 起 was used as a verb meaning "to rise," "to stand up," or "to begin." Over time, the meaning of 起 expanded to include other related concepts, such as "to start," "to initiate," "to originate," and "to cause."In modern Chinese, 起 is still commonly used in all of these senses. It is also used in a number of compound words and phrases, such as 起床 (qǐchuáng, "to get out of bed"), 起飞 (qǐfēi, "to take off"), and 起义 (qǐyì, "to rise up in rebellion").The character 起 is also used in Japanese, where it is pronounced "ki" and has similar meanings to the Chinese character. In addition, 起 is used in Korean, where it is pronounced "gi" and has similar meanings to the Chinese and Japanese characters.Overall, the character 起 is a versatile and important character in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Its rich history and etymology provide insight into the development of these languages and their cultures.