Origin

This character combines wood on the left with a component meaning "all" or "complete" on the right. The wood element suggests a tree or wooden object, while the right side indicates something thorough or proper. Together, these parts suggest the idea of a straight, upright tree—the kind of model form you would use as a standard. Over time, the character came to refer to the square, correct style of writing characters (as opposed to cursive forms), and more broadly to the concept of correctness itself. The image of a perfectly straight tree naturally evokes the notion of proper form and standards.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).