About
The character 骈 originally referred to two horses harnessed side-by-side to pull a carriage. In its traditional form 駢, it is a phono-semantic compound: the left radical 馬 (horse) provides the meaning, while the right component 幷 (to combine) suggests the sound and the idea of pairing. The simplified form 骈 retains this structure with 马 and 并. From this literal image of paired horses, the meaning extended to denote parallel prose, a classical literary style defined by balanced, paired sentences and strict rhythmic patterns.
Etymology Hide
