About
The character "棱", with its traditional form "稜", is a semantic-phonetic compound where the radical "木" (wood) or "禾" (grain) provides a material context, and "夌" acts as a phonetic component. Its earliest recorded meanings refer to the sharp edges or corners of objects, such as the ridges of buildings or the angles of wooden tools, reflecting the tangible angularity associated with these elements. Over centuries, the character's usage expanded beyond physical descriptions to encompass geometric principles, notably in mathematics and optics, where it denotes the edges of polyhedra or the facets of prisms, as seen in terms like "棱柱" (prismatic column) and "棱镜" (prism). This shift from concrete attributes to abstract conceptualizations illustrates a gradual specialization of meaning while retaining the core notion of defined angularity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个盒子有棱角。
小心别碰到桌子的棱。
那块水晶有很多棱面。
建筑师设计了棱柱形的建筑。
阳光透过三棱镜分成七色光。
这块宝石的棱角已经被磨平了。
在几何学中，棱锥是一种常见的立体图形。
现代雕塑家喜欢使用棱角分明的线条来创作。