Zi:文

文 [wén] 文​字 characters/writing, language/literature (文​化 wénhuà ‘culture’; 文​林 wénlín ‘scholarly community’); ​天文 astronomy; (radical 67, 文​部) [mín] (HDC:) ​忞/文​莫: ​黾​勉, ​努​力

3 monosyllabic entries in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):

►¹wén ​文 {D} b.f. ①writing; script ►wénzì 文字 ②language ►yǔwén 语文 ③literary/artistic/cultural pursuits ►¹wényì 文艺 ④literary language ►wényán 文言 ⑤formal ritual ►xūwén 虚文 ⑥certain natural phenomena ►tiānwén 天文 ⑦civil; civilian ►wénguān 文官 ⑧cultured; cultural; literary ►¹wénhuà 文化 ⑨gentle; refined ►wényǎ 文雅 ◆s.v. literary, bookish (of language) ◆n. ①〈environment:〉 lg. inscription ②Surname ◆m. 〈environment:〉 trad. (for copper coins) ◆v. ①cover up; conceal ②〈environment:〉 trad. tattoo
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Old forms of the character 文 wén are thought to depict a man with a tattoo on his chest; cf. 文​身 wénshēn ‘tattoo’, ​花​纹 huāwén ‘decorative pattern; tattoo’ (HDZ, Karlgren(1940), Lindqvist, ​李​乐​毅, ​王​宏​源). 文 wén ‘lines; veins; wood-grain’, formerly also written ​彣 (​彣/文​彩), is now written ​纹(​紋) wén. Extended meanings: ‘ornaments; designs; written characters; writing; literature; language; culture; civilization; civil (as contrasted with military); gentle’.
    In Shuōwén (​说文) the Seal form of 文 wén is explained as “​错​画”, with ​错 as in 文​错: 文​彩​交​错 wéncǎi jiāocuò ‘rich/bright colors interspersed/intermixed’ (as in painting). The old distinction between 文 wén ‘pictograph’ vs. ​字 zì ‘phonetic compound characters’ is lost in the modern word 文​字 wénzi ‘characters’.
    Compare: ​忞, ​彣, ​紋(​紊).
    文 is the 67th of the 214 radicals.
    HDZ: 文 : wén : (​在​肌​肤​上) ​刺​画​花​纹 (cf. 文​身: ​在​身​体​上​刺​画​有​色​的​花​纹​或​图​案; ​修​身); ​纹​理 (​物​体​面​上​的​花​纹​或​线​条), ​花​纹 (​各​种​条​纹​或​图​形); ​自​然​界​或​人​类​社​会​某​些​带​规​律​性​的​现​象 (​天文, ​天​象); ​礼​乐​议​制 (​繁文​缛​节); ​法​令​条文; ​字, 文​字 (​甲​骨文, ​金文, ​汉文, ​英文); ​言​辞, 文​辞; 文​章; ​韵文 (ant. ​笔: ​散文); (文​体​名); (​简​称) 文​言 (ant. ​白​话文) (​半文​半​白); ​书​籍; ​社​会​科​学 (文​科); ​非​军​事​的 (ant. ​武) (文​人, 文​官, ​能文​能​武, 文​武​全​才); ​乐​声​节​奏​和​谐; ​美​德; ​美, ​善; ​华​丽 (ant. ​质); ​柔​和; (​周​代) ​周文​王; (​量​词); ​紊 (wěn): ​紊​乱, ​杂​乱; (​姓); ​掩​饰 (文​过​饰​非); ​装​饰
►references: Guǎngyùn:109.30; Wieger:61f; Henshall:68; Karlgren:AD1315,GS475,GSR475a; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:3.2169.1; Lindqvist:309,351; Mathews:7129; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:477.01; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:010.0.04; Wáng(1993):179; EDOC:1
►components: ​亠​乂
►Cantonese: mahn\
►stroke 文 (... strokes)   
►list characters containing 文 as a component
►list words containing 文 (most common words first)
Unicode: U+6587
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