The character 茨 is pronounced: cí.

I. Interpretation

(1) Botanical name: refers to a thorny plant, such as the common tribulus terrestris, or it can refer to thorny thorn-like plants in general.

(2) weapon name: anciently refers to the weapon used to stab the enemy, usually a sharp instrument with thorns on a long pole.

(3) Metaphor: used as a metaphor for an evil or obnoxious person, meaning one who is prickly, unpleasant, or displeasing to the eye.

The origin of the character "茨" can be traced back to the evolution of ancient Chinese characters. According to archaeologists, the character "茨" was originally formed by combining two ancient pictographs.

The earliest part was the character for grass, symbolizing herbaceous plants, which was used to indicate plant-related meanings. The second was the character for "刂", which symbolizes a sharp thorn and is often used to denote meanings related to weapons, swords, and so on.

By combining these two hieroglyphs, the character 茨 was formed, initially denoting the meaning of a plant with thorns or a spiked weapon such as a bayonet.

3. Script Evolution

(1) Oracle Bone Script: The earliest date can be traced back to the Oracle Bone Script period of the Shang Dynasty, where the character for "茨" was shaped as two characters for "艹" (艹) symbolizing a herbaceous plant, arranged side by side.

(2) Clerical Script: During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the shape of the character "茨" became more simplified and standardized into a form similar to modern glyphs, consisting of two similar characters "艹".

(3) Modern glyphs: The final form developed into the modern form of the Chinese character 茨, which consists of two 艹 characters, one of which is slightly tilted to the right.

Example sentences for the character 茨:

(1) The patch of woodland was so densely covered with zygote grasses and spikes that traversing it on foot was almost impossible.

(2) Standing in the midst of this tzimtzum grass, he hides a sinister heart behind his back, and his words hide a tzimtzum needle-like meanness and mockery that we need to be aware of at all times.

(3) At the opening ceremony, he was as striking as a flower among the tzatziki grass, as if he were a touch of green among all the purple and red. Soon he became the man of the hour in the school. There were girls constantly giving him secret glances.

(4) In spite of the difficulties and challenges, he always adhered to the principle of honesty and integrity, and became a flower in the bush.