Definitions
Etymology phono-semantic
jade
About
The character 璺 (wèn) describes structural flaws in hard, brittle materials. Its bottom component is the radical 玉 (yù) 'jade', signaling a semantic link to valuable substances like gemstones or ceramics. The upper part, 舋 (xìn), provides the pronunciation and historically connotes a flaw or grievance, so both components contribute to the meaning. It specifically denotes a crack or fissure, such as a hairline fracture in ceramics, glassware, or jade, that weakens the object but does not cause complete breakage. In both historical and modern usage, the character is highly specialized, referring only to physical blemishes in rigid objects and lacking any metaphorical extension.
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