About
The character "甫" initially embodied the concept of a beginning, with its earliest form depicting a plant shoot emerging from the soil, a representation that informed its core meaning of inception or just now. Its contemporary structure, perceived as the character for "use" surmounted by a dot, is a later analytical construct that does not fully align with its original pictorial etymology. Over centuries, its semantic range narrowed and specialized, moving from a general temporal indicator to a specific term for a young man or a polite form of address for males within classical texts. This shift facilitated its incorporation into personal names and formal inquiries, as seen in the honorific "台甫" used to ask for someone's name. While its standalone utility has receded in modern language, it endures within compounded words and onomastic elements, marking a gradual specialization from a broad conceptual character to one with more reserved and specific applications.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
杜甫是中国诗人。
我们学习了杜甫的诗歌。
神甫在教堂祈祷。
他甫一到达就开始工作。
杜甫的诗歌反映了社会现实。
当神甫主持仪式时，人们都很肃静。
这位学者对杜甫的生平有深入研究。
甫一接到通知，他便立即着手准备。