排

The Chinese character 排 (pái) is composed of two parts: 扌(shǒu), which represents the hand, and 旁 (páng), which means "side" or "beside". Together, these two components suggest the idea of "arranging" or "putting things in order".The earliest known use of 排 dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC), where it was used in the sense of "to arrange" or "to put in order". Over time, the character took on additional meanings, including "to line up", "to queue", and "to reject".In modern Chinese, 排 is commonly used in a variety of contexts. For example, it can be used to describe the act of lining up for something (排队), or to reject something (排斥). It can also be used to refer to a group of people or things that are arranged in a particular order (排列).The character 排 is also used in a number of compound words and phrases. For example, the word 排球 (páiqiú) means "volleyball", while the phrase 排山倒海 (páishāndǎohǎi) means "to overwhelm with force".Overall, the character 排 is a versatile and commonly used character in Chinese. Its etymology and various meanings provide insight into the rich history and cultural context of the Chinese language.