[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Clothing-and-Accessories # 衣 yī clothing ## Components [[亠 (tóu)]] ## Meaning The character "衣" (yī) typically means "clothing" in modern usage. It refers to garments worn on the body. ## History The character "衣" (yī) originates from pictograms, depicting the image of a piece of clothing. Its fundamental meaning is "clothing." "衣" is a radical component, and its meaning is closely related to clothing and textiles. In ancient times, the upper garment was referred to as "衣" (yī), while the lower garment was called "裳" (shang). Nowadays, both upper and lower garments are commonly referred to as "衣裳" (yī shang). "衣" is a pictographic character, representing clothing worn on the upper body. In the oracle bone script, the character vividly portrays the appearance of a garment: the fold at the top resembles the collar, the openings on the sides represent the sleeves, and the overlapping flaps at the bottom depict the hemline. Additionally, in ancient times, there was a distinction between upper and lower garments, with the upper garment called "衣" and the lower garment called "裳." Today, "衣" generally refers to clothing. Moreover, due to the concealing function of clothing, the character has been extended to refer to things that wrap or cover objects externally, such as "糖衣" (táng yī), meaning "sugar-coating." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[衣 yī - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[衣 yī - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[衣 yī - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[衣 yī - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[衣 yī - reg.svg]]