Simplified form of 規. Depicts a kind of drawing tool for drawing circles with. The 见 (see) component was later added to suggest watching something being drawn. Based on the original meaning "compass; a kind of drawing tool", now written as 椝. The meaning has shifted over time and now means "rules".

Evolution

Bronze script

Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional script

Modern

Simplified script

Modern

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