～条

～じょう · ～jou · JLPT N2 · noun

article

📜 条 began as a slim twig, then a strip of text, then one numbered article

The old form 條 meant a long, thin branch. That idea carried over to long strips of writing and then to separate items in a list. That is why 第九条 means Article 9 of a constitution or contract. Chinese uses 条 as a counter for long, thin things in the same way.

条 — 攵 (tap) + 木 (tree); originally 攸 + 木
Originally written with 攸 (a flowing stream) over 木 (tree), 条 depicted slender twigs or branches of a tree. The meaning extended from 'thin branch' to any long, narrow item, then to 'strip,' 'item,' or 'article' as a measure word. The modern simplified form keeps 攵 over 木.

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