Is 巠 used alone in modern Chinese?

No, 巠 is primarily used as a component in other characters and rarely appears independently in modern usage.

What is the main function of 巠?

巠 serves as a phonetic component, providing the 'jing' sound to characters like 经 (jīng), 径 (jìng), 茎 (jīng), and 颈 (jǐng).

How is 巠 different from similar-looking characters?

巠 is often confused with 经 without the silk radical. The key distinction is that 巠 is the original form used as a component, while 经 is the modern character meaning 'warp' or 'to pass through'.

巠Tone 1

jīng ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 巛

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巠 · jīng

An ancient form meaning 'warp' (vertical threads in weaving);

watercourse running underground;

used as a phonetic component in many characters.

An ancient form meaning 'warp' (vertical threads inwatercourse running undergroundused as a phonetic component in many characters.

Usage highlights

Classical usage as warp threadsAs phonetic componentAncient watercourse meaning

Synonyms

经— warp; longitude; to pass through
径— path; diameter

Usage & contexts

Examples

This character is often used as a phonetic component (巠 as in 经).
It represents the warp threads in weaving (织布的经线).
In ancient texts, it could mean an underground watercourse (地下水流).

Collocations

Classical usage as warp threads(经线)
As phonetic component(巠声)
Ancient watercourse meaning(地下巠)

Cultural background

FAQ

Originally depicted warp threads in weaving, representing the fundamental vertical threads.
Later extended to mean underground watercourses in some classical texts.
Primarily functions as a phonetic component in modern Chinese, appearing in characters like 经, 径, 茎, 颈.

巠 (jīng) - An ancient form meaning 'warp' (vertical threads in & watercourse running underground