About
The character 纨 is a phono-semantic compound where the radical 纟 on the left indicates its semantic connection to silk and textiles, while the component 丸 on the right provides its pronunciation. Its traditional form, 紈, retains the same phonetic element with the unsimplified silk radical 糸. Semantically, 纨 refers to a fine, tightly woven white silk prized for its smoothness and luster. It is notably used in the compound 纨绔, which literally means "silk trousers" but figuratively describes pampered young people from wealthy families who live in luxury and avoid work.
Etymology Hide
