Amazing Chinese Characters (200) Sell - 賣

The bronze script for character Sell is

the top

has an Eye (the bottom) and Grow or Create (the top), the overall means Introspection.

The bottom of the full character

 is Shell (currency, or money).

Sell is people who think about the right price for him to sell certain item.

The big seal script for Sell is

Which is changed a lot.

The top

means "out". here is "give out", meaning "sell"

is Foot, the curve on the right bottom means an exit of a property.  I will discuss the character Out in another post.

The bottom part

 is Buy

Here the Out should mean that the opposite action of the Buy = Sell.

The small seal script is

same as its big seal script, the top is "out", the middle is Net, the bottom is Shell.

The clerical script is

which is more like its bronze script. The top is Out, the middle is changed from Net (网）to  Eye (目) , which may be a mistake because the two are very similar, or an intentional change back to old script.

The current traditional character (song typeface) is

賣

same as clerical script.

The current simplified character (song typeface) is

卖

total changed without any similarity to old scripts, and lost all pictography and ideogram.

Its pinyin is Mai4.

People put 買賣 - buy and sell together, which means Business.

Amazing Chinese Characters (199) Buy - 買

The shell bone script for character Buy is

The middle top is Shell, which was used as currency or money in ancient China. The bottom and sides is a net. If a person takes a net of money (shell), he must go to buy something.

The bronze script for Buy is

The net on the top, and the shell in the bottom in this character.

The big seal script for Buy is

The net on the top, and shell in the bottom, similar to the bronze script but more symmetrical.

The small seal script is

very similar to big seal script.

The clerical script for Buy is

The net on top became to a horizontal 目（Eye), which may be miswritten from 网 (Net).

 The current traditional character (song typeface) for Buy is

買

almost same as its clerical script.

The current simplified character (song typeface) for the character is

买

which is completely changed, no any similarity to the old scripts, and meaningless. You have to memorize it.

Its pinyin is Mai3.

Amazing Chinese Characters (198) Mulberry - 桑

The shell bone script for character Mulberry is

which is like a mulberry tree.

The small seal script is

The top are mulberry leaves. The bottom is the tree trunk.

The clerical script is

similar to its small seal script, but the curve lines became to straight strokes.

The song typeface is

桑

very similar to its clerical script.

Its pinyin is Sang1.

Amazing Chinese Characters (197) Light - 光

The shell bone script for character Light is

The top is Fire. The bottom is a person. A Fire on a person means Light. It is very common that people in remote area hold a torch while walking at night. Why does the person kneel down? I think that the ancient Chinese considered the fire is sublime, sacred and mysterious, human been must respect.

It is very similar to

which is character Ghost - 鬼 （See Post 71) who has a big head.

The bronze script of character Light is

Similar to its shell bone script of character Light.

The big seal script of the character is

Still see the similarity to the older scripts.

The small seal script of character Light is

It is same, the top is character Fire. The bottom is a person. The pictography has been lost.

The clerical script of character Light is

 

which is similar to its small seal script.

The song typeface of the character is

光

Almost same as its clerical script. 

Its Pinyin is Guang1.