Definitions

qiān (literary) to hold high

Etymology

A soldier  mounting a horse 

About

The simplified character (derived from the traditional ) combines , representing a soldier, with , a horse. The image of a soldier mounting a horse directly evokes the idea of mounting or rising. Although the character once referred specifically to a horse with a defective belly, that original sense has faded. In modern usage, it means to soar, fly high, or raise up, and it frequently appears in classical texts and personal names.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern