圜

huán, yuán

囗 + 睘

Definitions

huán circle; encircle

yuán circle; round

Etymology

A round 睘 fence 囗

About

圜 (huán) combines the enclosure radical 囗 (wéi, "fence, boundary") with the inner component 睘 (qióng), which gives the sound and depicts a round object, together suggesting a circular enclosure. Historically, the character meant "circle", the shape of the heavens in Chinese cosmology, or the act of revolving and encircling. In modern usage, its geometric sense has largely been taken over by 圆 (yuán), leaving 圜 mostly in formal or classical contexts as a verb meaning "to surround" or in specialized terms like circular currency.