Depicts using a knife (刀) to cut through thorns (i.e. clearing away brambles). Based on the original meaning "knife wound", now written as 刱 and 創. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Regular script

Modern

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