About
The character 刑, representing punishment or penalty, derives from an early composite structure combining the element 井, which in this context likely denotes the orderly bounds or regulations of society, and the knife radical 刂, explicitly indicating the infliction of physical harm. This construction points to its original, concrete meaning of corporal or capital punishment, a judicial act carried out within a prescribed legal framework. Over time, the semantic scope of the character expanded from these specific brutal acts to encompass the broader, abstract concept of criminal law and legal sanctions in general. While its graphic form has stabilized, the conceptual evolution of 刑 reflects a shift from focusing on the act of punishment itself to the system that administers it, though the inherent notion of penal consequence remains central to its meaning.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
刑法很重要。
刑罚必须公正。
法官宣布了刑罚。
这是一起刑事案件。
如果犯罪就要接受刑罚。
他的刑期是三年。
严酷的刑罚不能杜绝犯罪。
现代刑法强调预防和改造。