About
The character 宸 combines the roof radical 宀, which indicates buildings or covered spaces, with the phonetic component 辰, which provides the pronunciation and independently refers to celestial bodies or the fifth earthly branch. Originally, it described the deep, sheltered eaves of a house or a grand mansion. Since such imposing architecture was typical of imperial palaces, the meaning expanded to refer to the emperor’s residence and later became a literary term for the emperor or his supreme authority.
Etymology Hide
