About
The character 楹 is a phono-semantic compound combining the radical 木 (mù, wood), which points to a wooden object or architectural element, with the phonetic component 盈 (yíng, full). Originally, it referred to the main wooden pillars that supported the structure of a hall or large traditional building. Because these prominent pillars were traditional places to hang vertical couplets of poetry or auspicious phrases, 楹 also became associated with the couplets themselves, often appearing in the term 楹联 (yínglián) to unite the physical support of architecture with literary decoration.
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