科

The Chinese character 科 (kē) is composed of two parts: the radical 禾 (hé), which means "grain" or "harvest," and the phonetic component 可 (kě), which means "can" or "may." The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "something that can be harvested or cultivated," which is why 科 is often used in words related to agriculture, science, and classification.For example, 科 is used in the word 农业 (nóngyè), which means "agriculture," and 科学 (kēxué), which means "science." It is also used in the word 科目 (kēmù), which means "subject" or "course of study," and 科举 (kējǔ), which refers to the imperial examination system in ancient China.In addition to its use in these specific contexts, 科 is also used more generally to refer to a group or category of things. For example, it can be used to refer to a group of people, such as a class or a department, or to a group of objects, such as a collection of books or a set of tools.Overall, the etymology of the Chinese character 科 reflects its broad range of meanings, from its original sense of "something that can be harvested" to its more general use to refer to a group or category of things.