商

Oracle bone script: originally depicted 丙 (bing, “south”) with 辛 (xin, “bitter”) inserted, but the exact origin is uncertain.

In bronze inscriptions, the component 口 (mouth) was added at the bottom, leading toward the modern form.

Originally referred specifically to the Shang dynasty (商朝); later extended to mean “to trade”, because many displaced Shang people became merchants.

商人 (상인) — merchant, trader

商業 (상업) — commerce, business

商量 (상량) — to discuss, consult

商店 (상점) — shop, store

商務 (상무) — business affairs

In mathematics, 商 also means quotient, i.e., the result of division.

In Japanese, 商 is used in the set 和差積商 (“sum, difference, product, quotient”).

In classical contexts, it still refers to the Shang dynasty.