The Shell Bone Script for character Pig
A standing pig.
When we rotate this character 90 degrees counterclockwise, we get the following character:
It is easy to see that this is a highly simplified abstract drawing of a pig. Why did the ancients draw (write) the pig standing, instead of in a natural horizontal state? Because during the Oracle Bone Script period, people had not yet invented paper and could only write on bamboo slips. Bamboo slips were mostly only 8 millimeters wide, making it very difficult to draw a horizontal pig, so they drew a standing pig. For the same reason, animals like horses, tigers, dogs, and elephants in Oracle Bone Script are all depicted standing.
The Bronze Script for character Pig
At the top is the head, with four legs and a tail. It is a bit unclear, especially the head and legs at the top, which look a bit odd, but overall it still resembles a pig.
The Big Seal Script for character Pig
The four legs are clearer, with a tail and a head. The right side of the head (which is the top of the head, since this is a vertical pig) should be the features on a wild boar's head.
The Small Seal Script for character Pig
Also rotated 90 degrees:
It still resembles a pig, although the tail seems to be a bit too far forward.
The Clerical Script for character Pig
The left side remains unchanged, but the right side has an additional stroke.
The Song Typeface for character Pig
There is no significant difference from the Clerical Script. Nowadays, people generally do not use "豕" to refer to pigs; it is mostly seen in Classical Chinese. The character "豕" as a radical is also rare, but it is included in one very important character, which is "家" (home).
The Shell Bone Script for character Home
A pig under the roof is home. This may seem a bit strange, as it should be a person under the roof that constitutes a home. In ancient China, before mastering the art of animal husbandry, people were nomadic hunters without fixed abodes. After mastering the skills of animal husbandry, the ancients no longer needed to hunt, and they had fixed homes. Pigs, being docile, not picky about food, growing quickly, and providing tasty meat, gradually became the most important livestock. So, raising pigs eliminated the need to roam and hunt, allowing people to settle down and have homes.
The Bronze Script for character Home
The pig is head down, but otherwise similar.
The Big Seal Script for character Home
The pig inside looks a bit unlike a pig, likely a simplified depiction.
The Small Seal Script for character Home
Inside it contains the character "豕."
The Clerical Script for character Home
The roof has been shortened, and the tail straightened.
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