Definitions

wǎn ensign of royalty

Etymology phono-semantic

jade

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

琬 is a phono-semantic compound character within the category of precious stones. Its semantic radical 王 (wáng) on the left represents jade (玉, yù), placing it in the domain of gems and minerals. The right component 宛 (wǎn) provides the phonetic element for pronunciation. The character specifically denotes a type of lustrous, high-quality jade, historically characterized by a rounded top or fine, smooth texture. This structure pairs the jade classifier with a phonetic element to identify this particular variety of gemstone.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern