Knowledge expansion:
Tian Zi is a basic Chinese character in China, and its glyph has undergone a long evolution.
The evolution of Tian Zi:
First, Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Jin Wentian's words
In Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Jinwen, Tian Zi is described as a criss-crossing farmland. A glyph consists of two squares, each with a small circle. These small circles are considered crops or crops in the field. This expression is so intuitive that people can understand the meaning of "heaven" at a glance.
Second, Tian Zi's Biography
With the passage of time, Tian Zi gradually developed to the stage of Xiao Zhuan. In Xiao Zhuan, Tian Zi became more standardized and neat, and the glyph became more symmetrical and beautiful. Tian Zi in Biography still retains both Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Jin Wen, but no longer emphasizes crops or the existence of crops.
Third, Tian Zi of official script and regular script.
With the evolution of Chinese characters, Tian Zi has experienced some changes in official script and regular script. In official script, two squares in Tian Zi gradually evolved into two horizontal lines and a vertical line, which were considered to refer to crops or their roots. In regular script, Tian Zi's two horizontal lines became straight and the vertical lines became thick, which is still used today.
Fourth, Tian Zi with simplified characters.
After the founding of New China, the state simplified some traditional Chinese characters in order to promote the application of Chinese characters. Tian Zi's simplified glyphs are obtained by simplifying and sorting out the original glyphs. The simplified Tian Zi still retains the original structure with two horizontal lines and one vertical line, but the lines are simpler and easier to write and read.
In a word, the evolution of Tian Zi is a long and complicated process. From Oracle Bone Inscriptions and bronze inscriptions to seal script, official script, regular script and simplified Chinese characters, Tian Zi's fonts have undergone many changes and adjustments. These changes reflect the development of society and the progress of Chinese characters, and also reflect the deepening of people's knowledge and understanding of Chinese characters.