Etymology of 制 zhì = make, manufacture What is the etymology of 制? how the meaning is evolved to Make, manufacture?
Ox + hand kerchief + knife becomes Make or Manufacture?
制 has no ox/bull or cloth. That left component is a corrupted version of 未. 未 is a tree with many branches, ready to be chopped down. There is  as a variant form. Original meaning is &quot;cut&quot; hence the knife component 刀 on the right. After cutting down a tree, the wood obtained can be made into many different objects, thus &quot;make&quot; became an extended meaning. 制 furthermore had more extended meaning.
Over time, 制 became the definition for non-tangible things that can be &quot;made&quot; such as &quot;regulation&quot;, &quot;system&quot;, and &quot;formula&quot;. &quot;Control&quot; 控制 was an extended meaning for the &quot;system&quot; definition. Another component 衣 was added at the bottom becoming 製. This took on the meaning of &quot;make&quot; or &quot;manufacture&quot; for tangible objects such as clothes and furniture.
製 is still the standard in areas that use traditional script such as Hong Kong. In PRC, 製 was removed and 制 is reused as the meaning for make and manufacture.
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