What does 卮 mean?

What does 卮 mean?

"卮" is an ancient Chinese character that is less frequently used in modern Chinese, but its meaning and cultural background are worth exploring. This article will give you a comprehensive analysis of the meaning of "卮" from the aspects of glyphs, meanings, historical usage, and hot topics in the past 10 days.

1. The glyph and meaning of 卮

"卮" is pronounced as "zhī", which is a pictographic character first seen in oracle bone inscriptions. Its glyph is similar to an ancient wine vessel, so its original meaning refers to "ancient wine vessel." In "Shuowen Jiezi", 卮 is explained as "圜器", that is, a round container.

In addition, "卮" also means "inclined" and "unstable" in ancient literature. For example, "卮yan" refers to random and unstable speech.

2. Historical usage of 卮

In ancient times, "卮" was often used to refer to wine vessels, especially during sacrifices or banquet occasions. For example, there is a record of "卮wine" in "The Book of Songs", which refers to wine served with 卮. After the Han Dynasty, with the popularity of other drinking vessels, the "卮" gradually faded out of daily life, but its presence can still be seen in literary works.

3. Hot topics and content in the past 10 days

Although "卮" itself is not a hot topic recently, the cultural discussions and Chinese character research related to it still attract a lot of attention on social media. The following is the hot content related to "卮" or similar cultural topics in the past 10 days:

4. Modern applications of 卮

In modern Chinese, "卮" is rarely used, but it is still used in some specific fields:

1.literary creation: Some writers will use "卮" to create a classical atmosphere, such as mentioning "卮wine" when describing ancient scenes.

2.cultural studies: When scholars study ancient artifacts or the evolution of Chinese characters, they often involve the textual research of "卮".

3.Internet slang: Recently, "卮yan" has been used by some netizens as a code for "speaking at will" and has become a niche meme.

5. Frequently asked questions about 卮

1.What is the difference between Zhi and Jue?

Both the Xie and Jue are ancient wine vessels, but their shapes and uses are different. The jue usually has three legs and is used for sacrifices; the 卮 is a round, legless vessel mostly used for banquets.

2.Is it still available today?

Utensils as practical utensils are no longer common, but some handicraft stores or museum cultural and creative stores sell antique 卮 ware.

3.How is the word 卮 expressed in other languages?

In English, "卮" is usually translated as "wine vessel" or "ancient cup".

6. Conclusion

"卮", as an ancient Chinese character, carries rich cultural connotations. Although it is not common in modern life, by sorting out its glyphs, meanings and historical usage, we can better understand the profound heritage of Chinese traditional culture. The recent heated discussion about rare characters and ancient culture also reflects contemporary people's renewed attention to traditional culture.