Definitions

xiàng alley, lane

Etymology phono-semantic

step

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "衖", denoting a lane or alley, is structurally composed of the radical "行" encompassing the component "共", visually implying a shared passage. This form later evolved into the character "巷", which retains the "共" element but replaces the surrounding "行" with the bottom component "巳", thus modifying its graphical representation while continuing to convey the same meaning.

Etymology Hide

Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern