article, clause, counter for articles, clauses, paragraphs, etc., twig, item, stripe, streak
条 centers on long, thin, linear things: a twig or stripe, and by extension a written article or clause as a line of text. The counter sense applies this linear idea to counting articles, clauses, or items.
条 is the modern simplified form of 條. The older form combines 木 (tree) with 攸, which likely contributed the sound and the idea of a long, slender branch. The modern form retains 木 below a simplified top.
The top 夂 looks like a bent twig, and the bottom 木 is a tree. Picture a slender twig growing from the tree, then imagine that twig as a stripe or a line of text in an article.
For ジョウ, imagine a long, thin joist (a wooden beam) that looks like a giant twig: joist -> ジョウ, and it stretches like a stripe or a line of text.
condition; term; requirement; qualification; prerequisite
article (in a document); clause; section; provision
treaty; pact; convention; agreement
regulations; rules
clause; article; stipulations
creed; belief; conviction; article of faith
unconditional
text (of a law, treaty, contract, etc.); provisions
absurd; irrational; unreasonable; illogical
item; article; clause; section; point
Stars and Stripes (US flag)
favourable terms; favorable terms; favourable conditions; favorable conditions; place in the sun
tenet; dogma
preceding article; preceding entry
line; a streak
unfavorable conditions; unfavourable conditions
rail (of a railroad)
conditioning
reason
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe; CFE Treaty