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)
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Unicode: U+4ECE
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