About
The character 缄, traditionally written as 緘, derives from a composite structure featuring the silk radical alongside the component 咸, which primarily offers phonetic guidance while loosely evoking a sense of totality, and its etymology is tied to the material practice of using silk cords to fasten or secure bamboo slips and rolled documents. Originally referring to this physical act of binding, the term gradually expanded to describe the sealing of letters and parcels, thus encompassing a general notion of closure and secured containment. Over centuries, this concrete sense of sealing naturally evolved into more abstract applications, such as in the compound 缄默 where it denotes the maintenance of silence or discretion, marking a transition from a specific manual function to broader conceptual meanings involving restraint and confidentiality.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他始终保持缄默。
请缄口不谈此事。
她缄默地离开了房间。
在会议上，他选择了缄默。
对于敏感问题，最好保持缄默。
他缄口不言，以免说错话。
在法庭上，证人有权保持缄默。
尽管被多次质问，他依然缄默不语。