Definitions

tuàn hog, hedgehog, porcupine

Etymology

Variant of . Pictograph of a pig () with a line on its belly to indicate its fat belly.

About

is a variant of , originally a pictograph of a pig () with a line on its belly to indicate a fat belly. In classical literature, its primary use shifted to denote the judgments attached to hexagrams in the I Ching (Book of Changes). These commentaries, called the Tuan Zhuan, summarize the hexagrams' meanings and philosophical implications. The character does not follow a typical radical-phonetic structure, nor does it have distinct traditional or simplified forms; it functions as a specialized term in classical divination.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern