Amazing Chinese Characters (480) Resemble - 肖

 The bronze script of the character Resemble is

The top is character Small or Little (Post 135), the bottom is character Moon (Post 53). The original meaning of the character is small moon, which includes any moon shapes except the full moon. 

There are two meanings. 

1, the small moon.

2, the moon is gradually getting smaller

One famous dictionary explains the character as "small meat", because the character Meat (Post 252) is similar to, even same as character Moon (small seal script).  There are two meanings too.

1, small meat.

2, meat is getting smaller.

I found that both are right. Sometimes, it is small moon, sometimes, it is small meat.

The big seal script of the character is

The top is character Small, bottom is Meat or Moon

The small seal script of the character is

Small + Meat or Moon

The clerical script of the character is

Still Small + Meat or Moon

The Pinyin of the character is Xiao1.

The character is not used often as "Resemble" alone, but in proverbs. However, it is a popular family name, everyone knows the family name, but many may not know the "Resembling" meaning.