料

The Chinese character 料 (liào) is composed of two parts: the radical 禾 (hé), which means "grain" or "harvest," and the phonetic component 料 (liào), which means "to measure" or "to estimate." The character 料 originally meant "to measure grain," but over time it has come to take on a wider range of meanings, including "to consider," "to expect," "to provide for," and "to guess."The character 料 is first attested in the oracle bone script, which dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). In the oracle bone script, the character 料 is depicted as a person holding a measuring stick next to a grain bin. This image suggests that the character 料 was originally used to record the measurement of grain.Over time, the character 料 underwent several changes in its form. In the bronze script, which dates back to the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1046-771 BCE), the character 料 is depicted as a person holding a measuring stick next to a stack of grain. In the seal script, which dates back to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE), the character 料 is depicted as a person holding a measuring stick next to a grain bin with a lid.The modern form of the character 料 is first attested in the clerical script, which dates back to the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). In the clerical script, the character 料 is depicted as a person holding a measuring stick next to a grain bin with a lid and a spout. This image suggests that the character 料 was used to record the measurement of grain that was being poured out of a bin.The character 料 has a rich history and a wide range of meanings. It is a versatile character that can be used in a variety of contexts.