Origin

This character pictures a skilled worker with their tools. The box shape on the left (匚) represents a container or workshop space, while the component on the right (斤) originally depicted an axe or blade—the tool of a carpenter or artisan. Together, they show someone working in an enclosed space with a tool, which came to mean "artisan" or "workman" in general. The character captures the idea of a craftsperson at work.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).