[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Clothing-and-Accessories # 衬 chèn to line, to contrast ## Components [[⻂(yī)]] [[寸 cùn]] [[寸 (cùn)]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character 衬 (chèn) primarily means "to line" or "to contrast." It is commonly used in the context of clothing to refer to garments that are worn underneath or that serve as a lining. ## History The character 衬 is an ideogrammatic compound. The component 衤 (derived from 衣) represents clothing and, in its ancient form, resembles a piece of clothing. The component 亲 (qīn) indicates that 衬 refers to undergarments, which are worn close to the body. In the simplified form, it is composed of 衤 (衣) and 寸 (cùn), suggesting that undergarments are typically small and short. The primary meaning is "undergarment," and it has extended to mean "to complement." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ? ### Bronze Script ? ### Seal Script ? ### Clerical Script ![[衬 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[衬 reg.svg]]