“丘”（qiū）字和“阜”（fù）字是与“山”有关的两个象形字。从甲骨文的字形来看,“丘”与“山”相比，只是少了中间一座“山峰”。所以说，“丘”字是指高高的土堆或者小山。“丘”后来的字形变化比较大。到了战国时期（前475－前221），“丘”字的两个“山峰”写得像“北”字。到了隶书阶段，“丘”字才写成今天的样子。
The characters “丘” and “阜” are two pictographs closely related to the character “山”. Compared with “山”, the character “丘” lacks a “peak” (山峰) in the middle. “丘” refers to a mound or hillock, although its form later underwent great changes. During the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), its two “peaks” looked like the character “北” (north); and it took on its current form during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) with the development of the lishu (隶书) style of calligraphy .