引用
yǐnyòng · HSK 7
quote
💬 引 = pull/draw + 用 = use; you draw on someone's words and use them = quote/cite
引 means to pull or draw out; 用 means to use. To quote or cite is to draw out another person's words and put them to use. The same word covers citing a source and appointing or recommending someone.
引 — bow 弓 + vertical stroke 丨
A compound ideograph showing a bow 弓 with a vertical line 丨 representing the drawn bowstring. The original meaning was 'to draw a bow,' which extended to 'pull,' 'lead,' 'guide,' and 'cite.' The vertical stroke depicts the action of pulling the string back.
用 — pictograph of a bucket or wooden pail
用 originally depicted a bucket or container, possibly a sacrificial vessel made of wood. Over time it was borrowed to mean 'to use' or 'employ,' losing its concrete object sense. The modern meaning 'use' has been standard since early classical Chinese.