record

錄 is composed of 金 (metal) and 彔 (carve wood). 彔 depicts a water-drawing device set up over a well. In ancient times, to effectively distribute water, people would carve marks on the well frame to record the amount of water taken by each household, so 彔 carries the meaning of recording. Whenever major events occurred, the ancients would engrave records on metal vessels, as the writing on metal lasts longer than that carved on wood. Therefore, 錄 was later used to express the original meaning of 彔.