堇

jǐn

口 + 廿 + 龶

Definitions

jǐn clay; old variant of 僅|仅[jǐn]; violet (plant)

Etymology

Pictograph of a person facing upwards with their mouth open over a fire. Based on the original meaning "burn". The meaning later shifted to "bake", "dry out", and "clay".

About

The character 堇 was originally a pictograph showing a person looking up with mouth open over a fire, conveying "burn". Over time, this meaning shifted to "bake", "dry out", and eventually "clay" (used for pottery), a sense visibly supported by the 土 (earth) radical at its base. In modern usage, 堇 refers to violets (Viola species). The upper structure, though its exact origin is uncertain, serves as a phonetic element in a wide range of other characters, making it a frequent building block in Chinese writing.