Definitions
Etymology
Three 三 with accents to prevent forgery
About
The character 叁 (sān) is the complex, fraud-resistant form of the number three used in finance and official documents. Its structure combines 厽 (lěi), a component meaning "pile" or "wall", on top with the simple numeral 三 below, making it difficult to alter. Etymologically, it derives from the character 參 (cān), originally related to the Orion constellation or participation, which was adopted for its phonetic value and visual complexity to represent "three" in formal contexts. The base component 三 explicitly anchors the numeral's meaning, ensuring clarity while providing the stroke density needed to secure written transactions.
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