禾 represents short stalks of grain, 子 represents a young child. Based on the original meaning "youngest, small grains". The meaning later shifted to "crops", and "season".

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze script

Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Regular script

Modern

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