Chinese character 举

Its compounds extend one basic lifting sense to other actions.

举例 means “give an example,” 举行 means “hold an event,” and 举手 means “raise a hand.” The character also appears in compounds for selecting people and carrying out actions.

A bronze inscription form is attested from the late Warring States period in ancient China, when rival states competed for power. The Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese dictionary, links 舉 to 手 (“hand”) and lifting an object with two hands. Other examples appear in seal script (an older Chinese writing style), on Qin slips (narrow bamboo or wooden writing strips), and in clerical script.