Tracing the Original Meaning of 'Ke' (Guest)
This 2013 short paper by Zhou Kaili and Li Panpan (Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University), published in the Journal of Jiamusi Education Institute, re-examines the etymology of the Chinese character 客 (ke, "guest"). Rejecting earlier explanations that treat the character's lower component as 口 ("mouth"), the authors note that the oracle-bone form of 客 originally lacked a mouth component, and trace its lower element through comparison with the related characters 各 (ge) and 出 (chu). Using Naxi Dongba pictographic script as a comparative system, they argue the "mouth"-like component is actually a variant of 凵 (kan, "pit-dwelling"), reflecting the original meaning of "guest" as a lodging place at a crossroads. They trace the form's evolution from oracle bone to bronze to seal script, suggesting Qin-era hospitality customs motivated the later reinterpretation of 凵 as 口.
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