Origin

This character is a simple picture of an axe or hatchet, shown from the side. The two horizontal strokes at the top represent the blade or head of the axe, while the angled strokes below suggest the handle. Because an axe is a tool for chopping and dividing things, the character came to mean a unit of weight used for dividing and measuring — about 1.32 pounds. Over time it also became a general counter for bread loaves and other items that are cut or portioned.