Shell Bone Script of character Same is
The upper part represents a brick mold, and the lower part shows pressing mud into the brick mold and then cutting off the excess, producing the brick blank. Since they all come from the same mold, the size and shape are identical.
Bronze Script of character Same is
Similar to the Oracle Bone Script, but the two vertical lines are elongated, making the mold somewhat asymmetrical.
Small Seal Script of character Same is
The mold no longer resembles its original form.
Clerical Script of character Same is
Similar to the Small Seal Script, it no longer looks like a mold.
Now, let's look at the character Prosper.
Shell Bone Script of character Prosper is
Previously, the middle part is the Shell Bone Script of character Same - 同 above. 同 is the mold. There are two hands on top, fingers down, two hands on the bottom, fingers up.
Two hands lift a piece of mud up, fingers up (the bottom image of shell bone script above)
then he releases the mud into mold, his fingers pointing down (the top image of shell bone script above).
Using a taut wire to cut off the excess mud. This is what the upper part of the Shell Bone Script of character Prosper depicts.
Two hands are taking the finished bricks away and stacking them to dry.
Why make bricks? To build houses, bridges, and palaces. In ancient times, most common people lived in straw huts, and those who could live in wooden houses were considered well-off. Brick houses were very rare, usually only for emperors, and even then, only in very prosperous times, so brick making was a symbol of prosperity.
Bronze Script of character Prosper is
The bricks are triangular and far from the mold, likely due to casting technique issues causing deformation.
Small Seal Script of character Prosper is
The brick mold and brick blocks are very close.
Clerical Script of character Prosper is
The upper part is similar to the Small Seal Script, while the hands in the lower part have turned into two dots.
The Song Typeface of character Prosper is
Now we must ask: How did the traditional character Prosper become the simplified character?
Cursive Script of character Prosper
The first character is simplified, while the remaining five are the traditional "興". They are all written vaguely. The left hand is replaced by a vertical stroke, and the middle part sometimes looks like "月," "习" or "刁." Only the right hand is clearly written. The simplest is the bottom left, almost just four vertical strokes, with vague lines and two dots. Some are written even more simply.
This is the source of simplified characters. The four vertical strokes above were simplified to three dots, though it's unclear why not four. Perhaps people wrote three strokes, and the extra strokes were vague. Three strokes can represent many strokes.
Many simplified characters have traces of cursive script, so understanding some cursive script can help understand the origin of simplified Chinese characters.
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