The story of 紙

paper

紙 is composed of 糸(the picture of a silk coil) and 氏(the surname). 氏 depicts a bowing man holding a frame, the frame means enclosing a piece of land, implies someone obtaining a piece of land, it means a piece of flat object. Before the invention of paper, people writes on silk sheet, 紙 is a flat object which made of silk.