lì
government official
The characters 史 (history), 吏 (government official), 使 (cause; use; instruct), and 事 (matter; work; affair) are all etymologically related and all derive from the same ancient character, depicting a hand (又) holding a container for writing utensils. 吏 and 史 were originally written the same, but later an extra mark was added to distinguish them.
Oracle script
Bronze script
Seal script
Clerical script
Regular script
Freq. | Word | Meaning |
---|---|---|
minor government official or functionary (old) | ||
bureaucrat | ||
grasping officials, corrupt mandarins (idiom); abuse and corruption | ||
Ministry of Appointments (in imperial China) | ||
achievement in office |