page, plate, edition

版 is composed of 片 (slice, flat) and 反 (turn over). 片 is a pictograph of a bed, with the bedboard being flat, while 反 depicts the act of climbing a cliff with the hand, the cliff being steep and resembling a vertical plane. As both 片 and 反 imply flatness, 版 is used to represent flat, sheet-like objects, later extending to mean wooden boards used for printing.