Definitions
variant of 參|叁[sān]
three (banker's anti-fraud numeral)
Etymology
Three 三 with accents to prevent forgery
About
The character "叁" originates from the traditional character "參", which etymologically referred to the three stars of the Orion constellation and thus came to denote the number three. Structurally, "參" incorporates the component "彡", often associated with multiple or repeated elements, reinforcing its numerical sense. Over time, "參" developed additional meanings such as participation or consultation, while its use as a numeral continued in formal settings. The form "叁" emerged specifically for the numeral three, simplifying the structure of "參" into components like "厶" and "大" to ensure distinctiveness in writing.