骑

Étymologie et composants

The Chinese character 骑 (qí) for "to ride" is composed of two parts: 马 (mǎ), meaning "horse," and 己 (jǐ), meaning "self." The combination of these two characters suggests the idea of a person sitting on a horse, hence the meaning "to ride."The earliest known form of the character 骑 appears in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). In these inscriptions, the character is depicted as a person sitting on a horse with their legs dangling down. Over time, the character evolved to its current form, which is still used today.The character 骑 has several extended meanings beyond "to ride." It can also mean "to mount," "to bestride," or "to straddle." In addition, it can be used figuratively to mean "to control" or "to dominate." For example, the phrase 骑虎难下 (qíhǔ nánxià) literally means "it's hard to get off a tiger's back," but figuratively means "it's hard to get out of a difficult situation."The character 骑 is also used in several Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 马到成功 (mǎdào chénggōng) literally means "the horse arrives and success is achieved," but figuratively means "to achieve immediate success." The proverb 一马当先 (yīmǎ dāngxiān) literally means "one horse leading the way," but figuratively means "to take the lead."In conclusion, the Chinese character 骑 has a rich history and a variety of meanings. It is a versatile character that can be used in a variety of contexts.