契,是“刻”的意思。契约的本意,是指人们在交往中,将约定的事项用刀、笔等工具刻、写在金属、木材、纸帛等物质上,以表示对许诺的事项的信守。传说契约是上古时期的伏羲氏发明的。他教会人们将两块木板拼合在一起,在中缝刻上几道痕代表数目,然后由双方各执一块木板作为凭据,这就是最早的契约。这个传说说明契约是为适应原始社会末期出现的简单商品交换的需要而产生的。 Deed, is “engraved” meaning. The intention of the contract is that people in the contacts, the agreed matters with a knife, pen and other tools engraved, written in metal, wood, paper and silk and other substances in order to express their commitment to the promise. It is said that the contract was invented by Fu Xi in ancient times. He taught the people to put together the two pieces of wood, streaks in the middle of a few marks on behalf of the number, and then by each of the parties to hold a piece of wood as a credential, this is the earliest contract. This legend shows that the contract was created to meet the needs of the simple exchange of goods that occurred at the end of primitive society.