世
era, generation
世 is a pictograph depicting the lush branches and leaves of a tree, originally meaning leaves. This meaning was later taken over by 葉 (leaf). The branching and spreading of a tree resembles the proliferation of human descendants, evoking a sense of the passage of time, thus extending to mean era or generation.
Vocabulary of 世
- 世界 (world)
- 世事 (affairs of life)
- 世俗 (secular)