舌 shé tongue
How it came to be
A tongue coming out of a mouth, forked at the tip, which is how the old script draws one.
How it is used
- The tongue - 舌头 (shétou) the tongue, 舌尖 the tip of the tongue.
- 口舌 (kǒushé) = talking/quarrels: 费口舌 to waste one's breath.
- 七嘴八舌 (qīzuǐ-bāshé) = everyone talking at once/a hubbub of voices.
- 唇枪舌剑 (chúnqiāng-shéjiàn) = a heated verbal duel (lips like spears, tongue like a sword).