About
The character "仆" has a history of divergence between its traditional and simplified forms, leading to distinct meanings. The traditional form "僕" originally depicted a servant, composed of a person radical alongside elements suggesting menial work or criminal status, reflecting its core meaning of an attendant or subordinate. Through structural simplification, the character was reduced to "仆", a form already existing in the classical lexicon with a separate meaning derived from its components of a person and a hand, conveying the action of falling forward or prostrating oneself. Consequently, the simplified form "仆" now primarily carries this older sense of toppling over, while the original servile meaning is retained and represented solely by the more complex traditional form "僕", creating a clear semantic split based on the character's graphical evolution.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个仆人很聪明。
他雇佣了一个仆人。
国王有许多仆从。
仆役们正在打扫房间。
他不小心仆倒在地。
那个老仆人讲述了过去的故事。
在古代，仆人的地位非常低下。
尽管他出身仆役家庭，但通过努力成为了学者。