自我

The Chinese word 自我 (zìwǒ) is composed of two characters: 自 (zì), meaning "self," and 我 (wǒ), meaning "I" or "me." Together, these characters form a compound word that refers to the concept of "self" or "ego."The character 自 (zì) has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). In its original form, the character depicted a nose and a mouth, representing the idea of "self" or "oneself." Over time, the character evolved into its current form, which is composed of the radical 亻(rén), meaning "person," and the phonetic component 自 (zì).The character 我 (wǒ) also has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty. In its original form, the character depicted a person holding a spear, representing the idea of "I" or "me." Over time, the character evolved into its current form, which is composed of the radical 戈 (gē), meaning "spear," and the phonetic component 我 (wǒ).When combined, the characters 自 (zì) and 我 (wǒ) form the compound word 自我 (zìwǒ), which refers to the concept of "self" or "ego." This word is often used in philosophical and psychological contexts to discuss the nature of the self and its relationship to the external world.