土

The Chinese character 土 (tǔ) for "soil" or "earth" has a rich history and etymology. It is one of the oldest Chinese characters, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). The original form of the character depicted a mound of earth with a plant growing out of it, symbolizing the fertility of the soil.Over time, the character 土 underwent several changes in its form and meaning. In the seal script of the Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC), the character was simplified to a square with a horizontal line in the middle, representing the division of the earth into two parts: the upper world and the underworld. In the clerical script of the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), the character took on its current form, which consists of a square with a horizontal line and a vertical line in the middle.The character 土 has a wide range of meanings in Chinese, including "soil", "earth", "land", "territory", and "country". It is also used in many compound words and phrases, such as 土地 (tǔdì, "land"), 土壤 (tǔrǎng, "soil"), and 土木工程 (tǔmù gōngchéng, "civil engineering").In terms of its pronunciation, the character 土 is pronounced as "tǔ" in Mandarin Chinese. It is a third-tone character, meaning that the tone of the character rises and then falls.Overall, the character 土 is a versatile and important character in Chinese, with a rich history and etymology that reflects its central role in Chinese culture and civilization.