舌 shé tongue
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
The oldest form is a forked tongue coming up out of a mouth, like a snake's.
用法
- The tongue: 舌头 (shétou) the tongue, 舌尖 the tip of the tongue.
- 口舌 (kǒushé) = talking/quarrels: 费口舌 to waste one's breath.
- 七嘴八舌 (qīzuǐ-bāshé) = everyone talking at once/a hubbub of voices.
- 唇枪舌剑 (chúnqiāng-shéjiàn) = a heated verbal duel (lips like spears, tongue like a sword).