Zi:龙
龙(F龍) [lóng] dragon; 恐龙 kǒnglóng dinosaur; (radical 212, 龙部) [chǒng] [máng] cf. 龍
One monosyllabic entry in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):
►¹lóng* 龙[龍] {B} n. ①dragon ②Surname ◆b.f. ①imperial ►lóngpáo 龙袍 ②dinosaur ►kǒnglóng 恐龙
The simple-form character 龙 (5 strokes) is an old abbrev. of the full-form character 龍 (16 strokes), omitting the left-side part 𦚏 (9 strokes), and replacing the right-side part (7 strokes) with 龙, which is an abbrev. of 尨 (7 strokes).
The full-form character 龍, later wr. 㡣 (with 帝 on the left instead of 𦚏), was also wr. 𢅛 (with 尨 on the right instead of ); such forms 㡣/𢅛 (16 strokes) eventually lead to the simple form 龙; cf. 庞/龐, formerly also wr. 厖.
The Shuōwén Seal form of 龍 lóng ‘dragon’ is said to combine 月(肉 ròu) ‘meat/flesh’ (as in 能), with a shape () like 飛 fēi ‘fly’ (abbrev.), and 童 tóng (abbrev. phonosemantic); the long scaly beast, able to change its color from dark to light, able to become thin or thick, short or long, at the spring equinox soars up into the heavens, and at the fall equinox plunges down into the depths.
Note: 龍 lóng ‘dragon’, the pure embodiment of the 阳 yáng ‘male/light principle’ (⚊), rises up in ☳ (辰), plunges deep in ☵ (坎), turns back down to earth in ☶ (艮), and rules all three realms in ☰ (乾).
Compare: 詟/讋(𧮩𪚥) zhé ‘speak breathlessly (in terror/exasperation/frustration); speak too much (about taboo/etc. subjects)’.
“[龍] The dragon. When it ascends to heaven and flies, it rains; when it hides in the wells, there is a drought. Vapors and clouds personified.” —Wieger.
Older graphs associated with 龍 are said to be pictographs depicting a dragon, with a part like 𨐋(䇂) as in 童 atop the dragon's head (representing horns/crest/wings), with a part like 月/肉 representing the teeth/jaws of the beast, and with a curved snake-like body; the dragon's terrible jaws suggest the old form 𠚕(𠚒𦥒) of 齿/齒 chǐ ‘teeth’.
Compare: 尨 ‘shaggy dog’; 犬 quǎn ‘dog’; 尤 yóu ‘distinctive/prominent/outstanding’ (尤其).
Compare: 庞/龐, formerly also wr. 厖, with 尨.
Compare: 能 néng/xióng, 熊 xióng ‘a bear’.
►references: Wieger:140a; Karlgren:AD585; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:7.4804.1; Lindqvist:115; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:013.1.08; Wáng(1993):49; EDOC:0
►components: 尤丿尢
►Cantonese: luhng\
<cdl char='龙' uni='9F99'>
<comp char='尢' uni='5C22' points='0,0 128,128' />
<stroke type='p' points='109,63 32,122' tail='long' />
<stroke type='d' points='77,4 95,20' />
</cdl>
<cdl char='尢' uni='5C22'>
<stroke type='h' points='4,40 118,40' />
<stroke type='wp' points='50,0 0,128' tail='long' />
<stroke type='swg' points='72,40 72,98 92,118 128,118 128,86' head='cut' />
</cdl>
►stroke 龙 (... strokes)
►list characters containing 龙 as a component
►list words containing 龙 (most common words first)
Unicode: U+9F99
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