Definitions

zhì to advance; to ascend; to promote

Etymology phono-semantic

walk

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is an ideogrammic compound that combines the hill radical on the left with the step component on the right, visually suggesting the act of moving upward across elevated ground. Its literal meaning is to climb a hill or ascend a height, and over time this physical sense extended metaphorically to denote a promotion to a higher official rank.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern