[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Forms-and-Shapes # 角 jiǎo angle; corner ## Components [[⺈ (dāo)]] [[用 (yòng)]] ## Meaning The character "角" nowadays primarily signifies "angle" or "corner" in physical spaces, such as "street corner" (街角) or "room corner" (屋角). It can also refer to "angles" in geometry or "roles" in a play or movie, like "main role" (主角) and "supporting role" (配角). Additionally, it can represent a unit of currency, as in "one dime" (一角钱). ## History The character "角" originally started as a pictographic character. In oracle bone script, it resembled a severed animal horn, and in bronze script, it bore resemblance to its oracle bone counterpart. Over time, the seal script gradually standardized its form, leading to the modern regular script form "角." Its primary meaning refers to the horn of a beast. The original shape of the character depicts an animal's horn, often specifically referring to antlers such as those of a deer. From this, it extends to represent shapes resembling animal horns, as seen in geometric angles in mathematics. Additionally, it can denote the tip or protruding part of land, as in "Cape of Good Hope." In ancient times, "角" was also used to refer to young people, as their hairstyle made their head resemble animal horns. Today, the character "角" carries a broader range of meanings. Apart from denoting corners, angles, and monetary units, it is also used to represent roles, particularly in films and television dramas, such as "protagonist" and "supporting role." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[角 jiǎo - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[角 jiǎo - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[角 jiǎo - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[角 jiǎo - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[角 jiǎo - reg.svg]]