隶
lì
variant of 隸|隶[li4]
(bound form) a person in servitude; low-ranking subordinate; (bound form) to be subordinate to; (bound form) clerical script (the style of characters intermediate between ancient seal and modern regular characters)
hand pressing down (彐) + water (氺) = held in servitude
The image is of a hand (彐) pressing someone down into water (氺) — a vivid ancient picture of capture and subjugation. From that root of bondage came the broader senses of servitude, subordination, and eventually the clerical script style associated with enslaved scribes.
这块石碑上的字是隶书，看起来很古朴。
zhè kuài shí bēi shàng de zì shì lì shū，kàn qǐ lái hěn gǔ pǔ。
The characters on this stone tablet are in clerical script, which looks very ancient and plain.
这个部门直接隶属于总公司，不受地方管理。
zhè ge bù mén zhí jiē lì shǔ yú zǒng gōng sī，bù shòu dì fāng guǎn lǐ。
This department is directly subordinate to the head company and is not subject to local management.
Words with 隶
隶书
lì shū
clerical script; official script (Chinese calligraphic style)
隶圉
lì yǔ
servants; underlings
隶属
lì shǔ
to be subordinate to; to be under the jurisdiction of
隶体
lì tǐ
see 隸書|隶书[li4 shu1]
奴隶
nú lì
slave
奴隶主
nú lì zhǔ
slave owner
奴隶制
nú lì zhì
slavery
奴隶制度
nú lì zhì dù
slavery
奴隶社会
nú lì shè huì
slave-owning society (precedes feudal society 封建社會|封建社会 in Marxist theory)
改隶
gǎi lì
(of an entity) to come under the administration of (a different authority)
直隶
zhí lì
Zhili, a province from Ming times until 1928, roughly corresponding to present-day Hebei