Zi:从

从(F​從) [cóng] from; since; 从​来 always; ​跟从 follow [cōng] ​黑从从 murky [zòng] [zǒng] [zōng] [sǒng] cf. ​從

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

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The simple-form character 从 (4 strokes) is a component in (and old form of) the full-form character ​從 (11 strokes); today the full form ​從 is replaced everywhere in simple-form texts by 从.
    The full-form character ​從 (11 strokes) is a re-arrangement of the older form ​𨑢 (11 strokes); in the modern form ​從 the old component ​辵 is split into its two parts ​彡 (short for ​彳) and ​龰; ​彳 is placed to the left, and 从 is placed atop ​龰 at the right (​從⿰​彳⿱从​龰).
    Note: The full-form character ​從 was created to specify certain meanings of the older character 从; the two characters ​從 and 从 have separate origins and rather different usage (see below).
    The Shuōwén Seal form of 从 cóng ‘follow/heed’ (​听从) doubles ​人 rén ‘person (facing left/east)’; one weaker/subordinate person heeds/follows behind another stronger/leader (one heeds another, one follows after another).
    Note: In the SW gloss ​相​聽 (​听从 ‘follow/heed/obey, listen/hear and comply with’); ​相 xiāng ‘mutual/reciprocal (relation); (unequal/lopsided) relation’; cf. ​從, ​相​從 (HDC).
    Compare: ​亥 hài, in which the two people of 从 are a couple (man and woman, husband and wife); the bride follows her suitor to their home.
    Note: 从 cóng ‘follow/heed’ is the reverse of ​比 bǐ ‘compare/compete’; cf. ​匕 bǐ ‘person (facing right/west)’.
    The Shuōwén Seal form of ​從(​𨑢) cóng ‘follow/accompany’ (​随从, ​随​行) combines ​辶(​辵) chuò ‘go’, and 从 cóng ‘follow/heed’ (phonosemantic); formerly wr. 从.
    Note: The character ​從 was created to specify ‘accompany’ senses formerly wr. 从, but later ​從 replaced the older form 从; finally (coming full circle) 从 replaces ​從 in simple-form texts.
    Note: Different SW editions use 从 or ​從 in glosses to introduce the component analyses: e.g., in the ​徐​鍇 Xú Kǎi (late Tang) SW text, the structure of the character 从 is explained as “​從​二​人” ‘comprised of two ​人 rén 'people' together’; but in the later ​徐​铉 Xú Xuàn (Song) SW text, the analysis of 从 is given as “从​二​人”.
    Note: SW usage of 从/​從 to introduce the list of components derives from the fact that characters classified under a given SW radical follow after (are listed under) that radical/component (cf. ​以​类​相从, ​同​类​相从); this usage is a generalization (from radical to component), since not every component is a radical/classifier (some components do not serve as lexical classifiers/radicals).
    Compare: ​如 rú ‘follow/obey; like/similar’, SW syn. ​從 (​随从); characters containing a given component are similar in this respect to the component.
    Note: 从 cóng ‘heed, listen to (one) another; be close kin/friends; together/associate/accompany; comply/obey’; ​從 cóng ‘follow/accompany’.
    Compare: ​丛/​叢 cóng ‘gather/collect’, ​众(​㐺​𥅫​眾) zhòng ‘crowd’, ​聚 jù ‘gather’; see also: ​衣, ​卒(​䘚), ​旅(​𣃨).
    Note: Today read 从 cóng (even in 从​容 cóngróng ‘calm’, the modern standard reading); except, ​黑从从 hēicōngcōng ‘murky’ (many characters have 1st tone in reduplication).
    HDZ: 从 : cf. ​從
►references: Guǎngyùn:036.37; Wieger:27a; Karlgren:AD1116; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:1.105.3; Lindqvist:26; Mathews:6919; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:92.03; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:009.0.03; EDOC:0
►components: ​​人​人
►Cantonese: chuhng\
►stroke 从 (... strokes)   
►list characters containing 从 as a component
►list words containing 从 (most common words first)
Unicode: U+4ECE
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