About
The character 契, whose traditional form is identical, originates from an ancient concept of contractual agreement, initially represented by notched tallies of wood or bamboo that would be broken apart and held by each party as a physical bond. Its structure, composed of the components 㓞 (knife) over 大 (large), conceptually reflects this act of carving or incising marks into a material to create a durable record. From this concrete origin denoting a carved contract or deed, its meaning expanded into the abstract realm of agreement and concord, as seen in the classical term 契約 (contract). Further semantic development led to the verbal sense "to agree with" or "to be in harmony", and by extension, it acquired the meaning of a pledge or oath, as in the literary 契闊. In modern usage, while retaining its contractual essence, it also serves a specialized function in mathematics as a translation for the term "khi" or "chi", symbolizing a distribution in statistics, thereby connecting an ancient practice of binding agreement to a contemporary notation of symbolic relationship.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我们签了一份契约。
他们之间很有默契。
这是重要的契据。
他在石头上契刻文字。
这份契约需要双方同意。
他是我的契友之一。
这次会议是一个重要的契机。
在商业交往中，契约精神至关重要。