护

Étymologie et composants

The Chinese character 护 (hù) is composed of two parts: the radical 扌(shǒu), which indicates that the character is related to the hand, and the phonetic component 虎 (hǔ), which is a tiger. The character 护 originally meant "to protect with the hand" or "to guard". In modern Chinese, it has a broader meaning of "to protect" or "to take care of".The character 护 is first seen in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). In these inscriptions, the character is depicted as a hand holding a tiger. This suggests that the original meaning of 护 was "to protect with a tiger". Over time, the meaning of the character evolved to include the more general sense of "to protect" or "to take care of".The character 护 is used in a variety of words and phrases related to protection and care. For example, it is used in the word 保护 (bǎohù), which means "to protect", and in the phrase 照顾 (zhàogù), which means "to take care of". The character 护 is also used in the names of many Chinese organizations and institutions, such as the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (中国人民解放军空军), which is often referred to as the "Air Force" (空军).In conclusion, the Chinese character 护 has a rich history and a complex meaning. It is a versatile character that is used in a variety of words and phrases related to protection and care.