market, city

市 is composed of a variant of 止 (stop) and a variant of 兮 (expression of exclamation). 止 is a pictograph of a foot and indicates walking, while 兮 represents shouting or calling out. Therefore, 市 conveys the idea of a peddler walking about while hawking goods. Its original meaning is a place where buying and selling take place. As trade developed, such places of commerce attracted many people to gather and settle, so 市 also came to mean a densely populated town or city.