About
The character 缁 (zī), traditional form 緇, is a phono-semantic compound. It combines the silk radical 纟 (糸), which provides the semantic category of silk or textiles, with the phonetic component 甾 (zī), historically depicting a basket or container. Originally, 缁 referred specifically to black silk or garments made from dark silk. Its meaning later broadened to describe the color black more generally, especially in the context of monastic robes, as Buddhist monks in certain periods wore dark garments, leading to the term 缁衣 to refer to monks or the clergy.
Etymology Hide
