| 邦 bāng |
| nation ; state |
| 邻邦 lín bāng |
| 邦交 bāng jiāo | |
Its original meaning was 国, nation. In oracle bone inscriptions, it was composed of 田, field, and 丰, abundant, of which the former is the place on which people can live and the latter is the phonetic symbol (田and 丰 are pronounced in the same way in ancient times). In bronze inscriptions, 邑 replaced 田, meaning the place where people live in a compact community. |