交

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 交 (jiāo) is composed of two parts: the radical 攵 (pū) and the phonetic component 爻 (yáo). The radical 攵 represents the hand, while the phonetic component 爻 represents the sound. The character 交 originally meant "to cross hands" or "to exchange". In modern Chinese, it has a variety of meanings, including "to intersect", "to communicate", "to associate with", and "to trade".The character 交 is first seen in oracle bone script, the earliest form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, the character is written as a simple cross, representing the two hands crossed. In bronzeware script, the character is further developed, with the addition of the phonetic component 爻. The character 交 is also found in seal script, the third major form of Chinese writing. In seal script, the character is further simplified, with the loss of the phonetic component 爻.The character 交 has a rich history and a variety of meanings. It is a common character in modern Chinese, and it is used in a wide variety of contexts.