齿 chǐ tooth
tooth; gears; cogs
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
The oracle bone form shows a mouth full of teeth; in bronze a sound part was added on top.
用法
- Literary/formal word for tooth: everyday spoken Chinese uses 牙 yá or 牙齿 yáchǐ, not 齿 alone.
- Survives productively in 齿轮 chǐlún "gear/cog," a mechanical part shaped like teeth, and generally in more literary or technical compounds.