路

Étymologie et composants

The Chinese character 路 (lù) for "road" or "path" is composed of two parts: the radical 辶 (chuò), which represents movement or walking, and the phonetic component 各 (gè), which is a simplified form of the character 辵 (chuò), also meaning "to walk". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of a path or road that one can walk on.The character 路 has a rich history and has been used in Chinese writing for thousands of years. It first appeared in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC) and has been continuously used ever since. Over time, the character's form has evolved, but its meaning has remained largely the same.In addition to its literal meaning of "road" or "path", 路 can also be used figuratively to refer to a person's journey or path in life. For example, the phrase 人生之路 (rénshēng zhī lù) means "the path of life", and the phrase 仕途之路 (shìtú zhī lù) means "the path of officialdom".The character 路 is also used in many common Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 一路顺风 (yī lù shùnfēng) means "may you have a smooth journey", and the proverb 条条大路通罗马 (tiáotiáo dàlù tōng luómǎ) means "all roads lead to Rome".Overall, the character 路 is a versatile and important character in Chinese writing, with a rich history and a wide range of meanings and uses.