jié
cruel
Original meaning:
to be elevated
Depicts two feet (舛) on top of a tree (木). Based on the original meaning, "to be elevated" now written as 傑. The current meaning "cruel" is a phoentic loan.
Evolution

Seal script
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical script
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)Regular script
ModernDefinitions
Component uses
Iconic component in 1 character (1 verified)
Sources
黃德寬《古文字譜系疏證》p.2404