Zi:间

From Wenlin Dictionaries

(F​) [jiān] (​间) between/among; (​间) room; ​间 time [jiàn] 间​ gap, 间​ interval; 间​ spy [gān] ​间​ [jiǎn] [xián] cf. ​

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

¹jiān To view this entry, please log in
¹⁶jiàn To view this entry, please log in
¹⁶gān To view this entry, please log in

95f4.png
The simple-form character 间 jiān/jiàn ‘between/gap’ (7 strokes) is a simplification of the full-form character ​ (12 strokes), replacing the full-form component ​ mén ‘door’ (8 strokes) with its simple form ​ (3 strokes).
    The full-form character ​ jiān/jiàn ‘between/gap’ is an old variant of ​, replacing ​ yuè ‘moon’ with ​ rì ‘sun’; the form ​ (with ​) was created to specify certain meanings formerly wr. ​ jiàn ‘interval’ (间​ jiàngé), vs. other usages of ​ jiàn/jiān ‘gap/between’ (​间 zhōngjiān), but later usage often conflates the two forms (HDZ).
    Note: In the modern forms 间/​ the component is ​ rì ‘sun’, formerly wr. ​ yuè ‘moon’.
    The Shuōwén Seal form of ​ jiàn ‘gap/crack’ (between double doors) combines ​ (mén) ‘double doors’, and ​ (yuè) ‘crescent moon’; formerly wr. ​𨳿, with ​, in which ​ xī ‘sliver of crescent moon’ and ​ bǔ ‘crack’.
    Note: In the old SW form ​𨳿 the component is ​ wài ‘outside’ instead of ​ ‘moon’, but in ​ the left-side component is ​ xī ‘moon; evening’; cf. ​𠄨(​𢛢).
    Note: The old meaning of ​ jiàn ‘gap/crack’ relates to the ‘gap between two swinging door panels’, or the ‘gap between door and sill/wall’ (which allows the door to swing open, and through which a spy may peep); derived meanings: ‘crack in a wall; crack/gap/interval between; interval/between’; the ​ moon shining through a crack at night (in the ​ ‘dark’, when people are most vulnerable to spies), became ​ a ray of sunshine streaming through a crack (​ ‘light’).
    Compare: ​ jiàn ‘gap/crack’; 间/​ jiàn/jiān ‘gap/between’.
    Compare: ​/​ xián ‘door lattice/screen; free/idle time’, among full-form characters sometimes wr. ​.
►references: Henshall:92; Karlgren:AD375; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:7.4288.7; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:057.1.10; EDOC:0
►components:
►Cantonese: gaan\
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Unicode: U+95F4
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