民 (Mín)

surname Min

Etymology

Pictograph of an eye (目) being poked with something sharp. In ancient China, slaves were sometimes punished by blinding them with a sharp object. Based on the original meaning "slave". The meaning later shifted to "common person".

Shuowen Jiezi

《說文》:“民,眾萌也。从古文之象。”

Original meaning

slave

Components