Definitions

zhuān surname Zhuan
zhuān good; simple

Etymology phono-semantic

head

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 颛 is the simplified form of 顓, which combines the phonetic component 专 (originally 專) with the semantic head radical 页 (originally 頁). Historically, it described a person's appearance or demeanor, often suggesting honesty, simplicity, or a naive quality. However, the character is primarily known today from the name Zhuanxu, one of the legendary Five Emperors. This strong mythological association has largely overshadowed its original descriptive meanings, turning it predominantly into a proper noun.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Wu (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern